


Can I Steal You for a Second?

by AsAlwaysMir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien has all the girlfriends, Adrien is a sad homeschooled child, Adrinette, Aged-Up Character(s), But he isn't Hawkmoth, Eventual reveal, F/M, Gabriel still sucks, I Really Hate Lila, I've read too many Bachelor articles, I’m a sucker for plot, LadyNoir - Freeform, Lila and Marinette have never met, Lila doesn’t get a happy ending, One-sided reveal at first, petty girl drama, slight AU, the bachelor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 156,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22470469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsAlwaysMir/pseuds/AsAlwaysMir
Summary: Adrien is forced to participate in a new dating show, but becomes more excited when Ladybug says she'll participate as her civilian self.AKA: AU where Adrien doesn't know Marinette, the superheroes are 22 and Gabriel is mean and ruthless but not Hawkmoth.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 1284
Kudos: 1695





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first fic EVER and I would love your feedback, good or bad! The first chapter is a little short, but they should be slightly longer in the future! I'm going to try to post every 2 weeks, but who knows, they may come faster :-)

Ladybug knew something was wrong with Chat the minute she stepped onto the rooftop where they had agreed to meet for patrol. He didn’t look up when she landed, even though she knew that he had heard her. She slowly walked towards him and decided that she wouldn’t push... for now. As she sat next to him, she began to count. By the time she reached 100, her patience had run thin and she was determined to break the silence. 

“Hey, Kitty, _feline_ a little quiet tonight?” Although she despised his constant use of cat puns, she figured the use of one would help break him out of his stupor. She glanced at Chat, expecting a smile and a witty comeback to come from him, but instead she was treated to sad kitty eyes and a look that broke something inside of her. Her voice came out barely as a whisper, “Chat, what’s wrong?”

Chat stared intently into Ladybug’s eyes. After a beat, he sighed. “It’s no big deal,” he shrugged it off, or tried to. But Ladybug was insistent. She locked eyes with him and scooted closer, and gave him a look saying that she didn’t believe him. He sighed before whispering, “Well, it actually is a big deal.” He took a breath, closed his eyes, and then continued on, “They—I—my father is forcing me to do something and I just—I just am not looking forward to going through with it.” Chat broke eye contact with Ladybug, but she moved her hand to his shoulder. He leaned into it absentmindedly. 

“Chat, you know you can tell me anything,” She said with a soft smile. They were partners after all. She would be there for him through anything. 

He slowly looked up at her again, this time the pain and hurt in his eyes evident. “Even... even if it reveals my identity?” 

Ladybug paused a little, processing that information. She knew that Chat was homeschooled and that she most likely didn’t know him in real life. But is she really ready to learn who her precious kitty is behind the mask? She’s loved Chat for 7 years (as more than friends for 5) so she knew deep down that his identity didn’t matter to her. The reason they hadn’t revealed themselves yet was because of Hawkmoth. He was just as strong as ever and the two superheroes needed to trust each other with everything, to a certain point. Safety is important when fighting someone like Hawkmoth. If one of them was captured... just the thought made Ladybug shiver and her heart strain. She couldn’t do that to her kitty. 

But... if she knew his identity, she could help him through this... thing that he was going through. Truthfully, she was curious, both about his problem and his identity. She was Ladybug, and Ladybugs fixed problems, fought hard battles, and supported their team—their partner— through it all. There were many different times that during high school, Chat was all that kept her going, and she would love to return the favor. 

Slowly, the words came out of her mouth before she even realized it. 

“Yes, _Chaton_ , even if it reveals your identity.” He looked at her stunned, before a genuine smile split across his face. That look made the potential problems worth it. 

“My father is forcing me to ‘branch out’ for the company and complete a publicity stunt. There is this reality show that is really popular in America that they are shooting a season of here in Paris. They want me to be the star, since my fans are numerous and should be a good starting point of a fanbase for the show.” Ladybug started a little upon hearing that Chat has _fans_ outside of the suit. She had expected him to be normal, just like her. Her mind started racing, trying to figure out what he was going to say before he said it. 

Chat pauses and took a deep breath, looking extremely nervous about the next part of his explanation. He looked at her in a way that encouraged her line of thinking; she should know what he was talking about. Thinking that her brain must have shut down for some reason, she tilted her head slightly as she could feel her face scrunch in a half confused-half thinking face. 

“What show is it?” aiming for innocence even though her voice shook and so she didn’t sell it very well. The only thing she can think of is the new reality show that Gabriel Agreste (only the most talented fashion designer in Paris and a huge idol to Ladybug) is doing to promote his line. But that can’t be it... can it? She couldn’t remember the details of the show, except that it involved one boy and a lot of girls. In fact, if she remembered correctly, the boy was going to be Gabriel’s son, Adrien. He models sometimes and is _very_ good-looking, but that can’t possibly be... 

Ladybug gasped a little and looked up at Chat, seeing him in a new light. She had admired his pictures for a long time and this cat-themed superhero sitting in front of her looked a whole lot like Adrien. If the hair was styled and his eyes were not of the cat variety. 

“The show is called _The Bachelor_.” Chat continued on, not noticing the way that Ladybug was staring at him. “They take one guy and thirty girls and he takes them on dates and week by week has to narrow it down to just one girl that he loves and he is supposed to propose to that girl at the end of the show.” Chat explains with a slight rise to his voice. It’s as though he’s freaking out about the whole thing and is having trouble getting the words out. Of course, Ladybug realizes, that is exactly what he’s doing. He stares at her, trying to get a read on how she’s taking it all, and so Ladybug pastes on a smile and says the first thing that comes to mind. 

“You’re Adrien Agreste.” It didn’t come out as a scream, so Ladybug gave herself a mental pat-on-the-back for maintaining part of her composure. 

Chat nods and then gives a slight murmur of, “Plagg, claws in.” With a flash of green light, Adrien is sitting where Chat once was and a little black creature has flown into Ladybug’s face. 

“That didn’t take you long after he spelled it out for you. You’ve been working with this doofus for SEVEN WHOLE YEARS and yet you couldn’t spell it out?” The black kwami, who was super adorable, by the way, was flying around waving his little paws and getting all worked up. The whole thing, from Adrien being Chat and being chewed out by a kwami who was VERY different from Tikki, was just so absurd, she couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You must be Plagg!” Ladybug said between giggles as she guided Plagg to sit in her hands. “Tikki told me lots about you, but I didn’t know you’d be so feisty when I got to meet you.”

Plagg crossed his arms and gave her a disdainful look, “Well I haven’t had any cheese in a while and I get cranky when I’m hungry.” Ladybug laughed again as Adrien sputtered from where he sat. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were huge. Clearly, he didn’t think Plagg would be so mean to Ladybug when he first met her. 

“Plagg! I fed you right before we left!” 

But his comment wasn’t heard over Ladybug’s laughs as she rubbed Plagg’s belly and behind his ears. “Has the mean Adrien not given you any cheese lately?” Ladybug said in a joking voice. Plagg gave her some kitty eyes and shook his head woefully. “Well I’m sorry I don’t have any cheese on me, but I promise, I’ll always come stocked with cheese from now on.” 

Plagg flew up and gave Ladybug a look. He must have decided that she was trustworthy, because then he turned to Adrien and declared, “I like her. She cares about me and my cheese needs. You should be more like her.” 

Adrien blanched and Ladybug began laughing again. That seemed to shock Adrien back into the present and he quickly spat out, “Well, she’d be less willing to give you cheese if she had to put up with smelling like Camembert all of the time!” At that comment, Plagg stuck out his tongue at Adrien and then dove into his shirt pocket and out of sight. 

Ladybug was smiling like an idiot. Why hadn’t they revealed themselves earlier? This was a blast and Adrien was all Ladybug could have hoped for in a partner. Suddenly, the reason that he HAD revealed himself came back to her and her smile quickly faded. 

“So, you’re going to have to do this show.” Adrien looked up at her and his expression was wary again. “What are you going to have to do?” 

“I have to get to know a pool of 30 women and narrow down my choices until I find one that I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. My dad thinks that it is going to be good for the company if I do this. Plus, I think he wants me married off and this is a sure-fire way of doing it, at least in his mind.”

That all made sense, but there was one big thing that had never seemed clear to her, “What does your dad gain from this show? How would a dating show help a fashion designer?” 

Adrien smiled a little at that. “It’s actually kind of brilliant. So, my dad is partially funding the show, so he has a lot of say in what happens. In the American version, they bring their own clothes and such and just go about the show. My father has decided that every girl will wear a Gabriel original, whether that’s formal wear, casual wear, even swimsuits, at all times during the filming. It’s virtually going to be an extended runway show. Everyone will tune in for the idea of watching me fall in love, but will actually fall in love with the fashion.” 

Ladybug had to give Gabriel some credit, that was a great marketing idea. Although at the expense of his son...

“Does he really expect you to fall for the person you’re going to marry on this show? That seems a little crazy, and you’re only 22.” 

Adrien’s eyes dropped from Ladybug’s and his hand went up to rub the back of his neck. A slow blush began to cross his checks, and Ladybug hated to admit it, but he looked really cute like that. “I was furious when he told me, but he made me a promise. If I would go about the show, play through it like I’m supposed to, and stay engaged after the show for six-months, then I’m allowed to break it off and pursue someone on my own.” 

“Wouldn’t that leave a bad reputation for the show? Surely your father doesn’t want that.” 

“He doesn’t. But the American version very rarely comes up with successful relationships, so he’s willing to let the show end badly if it promotes Gabriel Fashions well enough.” Adrien shrugged and smiled. “As long as I get to make the decisions about my love life, I’ll be okay.” 

Ladybug smiled at that, but it began her mind whirring. What kind of Ladybug would she be if she let him go through with this. They were two halves of a whole, or at least that’s what Tikki kept telling her. She loved him as more than a friend and the thought of sitting back and watching him serial date girls made her stomach twist. 

“Are you actually going to _try_ to date these girls? Like actually get to know them and what-not?” 

Adrien’s face twisted in thought, “Well, I’ve considered it, but I have a feeling that the girl I love won’t be playing with me. It’s a shame really. Especially since she has to stay here and protect Paris while I’m gone.” There was a twinkle in his eye that made Ladybug’s stomach flutter with butterflies—and the non-akuma kind at that. Chat had always flirted with Ladybug, but she never took him seriously even if she really _really_ wanted it to be real. 

Suddenly, a thought, one so wild and out-there Tikki would never go for it, came. It was an idea that could actually work, if she played it right. 

A playful smirk grew on her face and her heart began to race. “What if she was?” 

His shocked expression was enough to make the shaming she was going to get from Tikki later worth it. “Would you really?” Then, after a beat, his face fell. “You can’t. You have to stay here and protect Paris. What if an akuma comes up? Who’s going to fight it?” 

“We are silly! You don’t expect me to be Ladybug and Chat Noir without my kitty, do you? The show is only shooting in Paris, right?” She thought she had heard that mentioned, but she wasn’t as invested when the topic first came up. 

The cogs were turning as he responded, “Yeah we are.”

“Then that settles it. I’ll apply to be a contestant, you’ll escape away and help me fight akumas and possibly patrol once a week, and then we won’t have to stop being a team.” _And I’ll have a chance to go on a proper date with you and we’ll fall in love and get married and have three kids and...._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bone crushing hug from Adrien. “Thank you so much! It won’t be as bad with you there.” When they pulled away, the smile on Ladybug’s face wasn’t forced. 

“C’mon kitty, let’s start patrol.” She shot him a wink and stood. She gave him about 10 seconds to transform before she sprinted off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got excited and finished another chapter... so here you go :-)
> 
> I would also like to preface this and future chapters that I did A LOT of research leading up to this so most everything is true, but I'm down answering any questions you have in the comments.

As predicted, Tikki wasn’t for it. “Marinette! You can’t leave Paris unattended and just chase after your prince charming! Being Ladybug doesn’t work like that.” 

“But Tikki, I have to. I’ve been in love with Chat for 5 years and haven’t said anything! I was too nervous because he flirts with everyone and” a little bit of excitement sped through Marinette as she remembered something to help her argument. “he already knows. How do you expect him to trust me if I break his heart by backing out now?” The grin on Marinette’s face was devilish. 

She walked away from Tikki and took a seat on her chaise. Pulling two cookies from a box on the desk, Tikki flew over and handed one to Marinette before she began to munch on the other. 

“Just because you two are yin and yang doesn’t mean that you’re meant to be together romantically. Not every Ladybug and Chat Noir pair end up married. You shouldn’t use that as an excuse to do something crazy!” Tikki argued after she had swallowed her first bite. 

“That’s the thing though, Tikki! I love him. I’ve loved him for so long and I just want to get his attention in a different way! What if this is the way I’m supposed to complete him? What if this is our fate? By doing this show?” Tikki didn’t look convinced, so Marinette tried a different approach. 

“I’m also supposed to protect the black cat superheroes, correct?” Tikki gave a slight sigh and a nod. “How am I supposed to protect him if I let 30 girls throw themselves at him without keeping an eye on them and him. He needs me to be there.” 

Marinette finished her cookie as Tikki processed what she had said. After about 30 seconds of Tikki not looking up from her cookie, Marinette continued, “Look, I’ll put in my application. If they reject it, then it wasn’t meant to be and I’ll just keep an eye on Paris while Chat is away. He can’t be mad if the producers were the ones to make me break my promise. But if I’m accepted, then I get to fight for him. I get to be there for my other half. I promise, I’ll find a way to be Ladybug and a contestant. I’ll stay on super high alert for akumas, scope out all of the best transformation shots, and even see if I can get one night off a week to do patrol. Ladybug won’t fall to the sidelines.” Marinette paused, making direct eye contact with her kwami so she’d know how serious she was. “Deal?” 

Reluctantly, Tikki looked up into Marinette’s eyes. “You’re not going to let this go until I agree, aren’t you?” Tikki responded with a sigh, “Fine, we have a deal.” 

Marinette couldn’t wait to begin. 

\---------------------------------------------------

The next day, Marinette had already enlisted the help of her best friend Alya for her mission. Alya didn’t know the real reason she was interested in auditioning for the dating show, as that would involve revealing both her and Adrien’s identities, but Alya did know about her huge obsession with Gabriel Fashions, and by extension, Adrien, and so she was fully supportive of Marinette following her odd dreams by participating in the show. 

“Girl, I cannot believe you’re doing this!” Alya squealed as she clacked away at Marinette’s computer. 

“Yeah me neither,” Tikki muttered in Marinette’s purse. She was loud enough that Marinette heard the sly comment, but Alya, who was too distracted editing the video anyway, could not. 

Becoming a contestant on a reality TV show was a lot more than Marinette had expected. She had to fill out a 6-page questionnaire, answering questions such as, “What is your current annual salary?” “Do you drink alcoholic beverages?” and “Why would you want to find your spouse on our TV show?” It was oddly a lot of work and some of the questions really made Marinette think. 

After the paper application was done, she needed to record a video of herself answering a series of questions and then pick anywhere from 5-15 pictures of herself. Then she would pack them all up and mail them to the studio. 

Alya had been called as soon as the paper application was done. She helped Marinette pick out the perfect photos (there were 8 of them, all of them showed off Marinette in a very good light and also showed her being a good person) and directed the video. 

As it turns out, the hardest part of the video was finding the perfect outfit. After 10 minutes of digging, Alya found the perfect dress, one that Marinette had designed, that made her look beautiful and professional without too much stiff-ness. Once the lighting was adjusted and everything was perfect, Alya began asking her questions. 

These questions were similar to the ones on the paper application, which helped because she already had her answers ready to go. She started off with a summary of herself, then moved on to her dating history (none, except for Juleka’s brother, but that was one date), then with her ultimate fantasy date (traveling to see the different fashion shows around the world), what her family was like, her traveling dreams, what she would do on a date in her hometown (obviously stroll around the Eiffel tower and all the sights, as well as baking with her parents), some of her special talents (thankfully she had some finished designs lying around and it gave her an excuse to talk about her dress), and finished up the video with a tour of her house. That part was fun because she got to show off her room and the bakery, where her parents were hard at work. 

Once the whole thing was done, Alya began editing on her computer. Marinette began cleaning up her closet and was only half listening to Alya’s comments, most of which were very sarcastic. 

“I should make a blooper reel to add to the end of the interview, this stuff is comedy gold!” Alya called to her with a laugh. Marinette pinked remembering how many times she had to do some of the questions before she got it sounding okay. 

“Honestly, Alya, they want to see my personality. As long as it’s not too embarrassing, I won’t say anything.” Alya’s squeal of delight made Marinette roll her eyes. 

“When you make it, you’re going to have to keep me updated on what it’s like to date none other than Adrien Agreste!” At that comment, Marinette couldn’t help but giggle. 

“You sound really cocky for someone who was just joking about my blooper reel!” 

“Confident, not cocky, sweetheart!” Marinette smiled, despite herself. Alya’s confidence and excitement was contagious. She was also hoping her Ladybug luck would carry her most of the way through this process, even if Tikki didn’t think that was fair.

“Anyway, Alya, you know they take the contestants phones from them once they arrive! No cell phones, no social media, no communication with the outside world. I even heard that there is no internet.” 

“Ugh, I couldn’t survive without internet! That’s why I didn’t audition! I couldn’t imagine being in a situation like that and NOT blogging the whole thing!”

“But what about Nino?” Marinette asked with a raised eyebrow. Alya had been dating Nino, Marinette’s other best friend, since she moved to Paris in high school. The thought that Alya would ditch Nino to go on a dating show seems kind of extreme. 

“Nino would get over it. He knows I love him and would only go on the show to promote my blog. Can you imagine how many more followers I would have if I could promote the Ladyblog on National Television! It would be amazing!” Another squeal from Alya although Marinette didn’t smile. 

“But, Alya, girls aren’t supposed to go on the show to promote their own things. They do it to find love. You can’t go on the show for the wrong reasons!” The rising anger in Marinette’s voice became very obvious, as well as very uncalled for, and it startled Alya a little. The thought of Alya, or anyone for that matter, using her kitty to promote themselves made Marinette fume with fury and she couldn’t stand the thought of him being used like that. 

Thankfully, a smile broke across Alya’s face, “Relax girl, that’s why I didn’t audition! I couldn’t imagine using a person like that!” Alya then turned to Marinette with a smirk on her face, “Plus I knew that Nino wouldn’t know what to do without me while I was gone!” Alya began to laugh, and not long after, Marinette joined in, although her laugh was a little forced. She still couldn’t get over the fact that some of the girls could be there for the wrong reasons. At least Marinette will be there to help steer Adrien in the right direction. AKA: her. 

\--------------------------------------------------

About a week later, one of the producers of the show was sitting in a dark office, stifling a yawn. The office was small and boring, only holding a cramped desk, a computer, a chair, and an over-flowing pile of packages. He had been the unlucky one assigned to sorting through all of the potential contestants. The deadline for applications was yesterday and they had to wait for the mail to come in today before he was to start going through it all. 

He swiveled in his chair bitterly. _Come and work on this new reality show,_ they said, _it’ll be fun,_ they said. He rolled his eyes and began grabbing packages and ripping them open. He began downloading all of the videos onto the computer and labeling them with the girl’s name. After that was all done, he began flipping through the applications while watching, or rather ignoring, the same girl’s video, which he played on the computer. 

The hardest part of the job was finding 30 girls who fit both Adrien’s list of things he’s looking for in a girl, as well as Gabriel’s things. And when it came to it, all of the girls HAD to be Gabriel-approved, or it was going to be his head. 

Truthfully, he felt like a creeper looking through all of these pictures of the potential contestants. All of them included at least one swimsuit pick and they were all between the age of 21 and 25. That was all good for Adrien, but for him, a married guy... not so much. 

After a few more hours of work, he was going bleary-eyed and was ready to go home and give his wife a big hug and not tell her about this. The last video/application he looked at caught his eye. It was this pretty, petite girl with blue-black hair and a very nice smile. He thought he recognized her, but that couldn’t be possible. He checked her application again and noticed she was from Paris too. Her last name, Dupain-Cheng rang a bell as well. 

As he continued watching her video, during the house-tour, she showed the camera into a bakery. Yes! That was it! She was the daughter of the owners of the Dupain-Cheng bakery! Man, they made the best pastries. He had even considered stopping by on his way home tonight, to get his wife something sweet. 

Well, that settles it. She just _has_ to be on the show. Completely ignoring the two requirement lists he had been religiously using, he moved her application into the “Casting Interview” pile, shut off his computer and headed out for the night. The Dupain-Cheng bakery wasn’t too far out of his way, and if he hurried, he could make it home right as dinner hit the table. 

\----------------------------------------------------

Weeks went by and Marinette had almost forgotten about the show and her application. Everything was normal: working in the bakery with her parents, going to classes and completing projects for University, and even her patrols with Chat were normal. He hadn’t brought up the topic of the show, except to confirm that she had applied. Life was normal. 

That is, until she received a phone call from a producer saying that they would like for her to come in for an interview, a photoshoot, and some medical testing. She was thrilled, called Alya right away, and was able to clear the weekend in her calendar. The next night, on patrol, she told Chat just because she couldn’t contain her excitement. 

“They said that just because I was called doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed a spot, but that I’ve made it to the top 50!” She let out a small squeal as Chat wrapped her in a hug and spun her around. 

“Oh, Bug, this is wonderful! You are going to have a great time! They told me that this is the easy part! In fact, since most of you are going to be on the show with me, I’m not allowed to even leave my house during that weekend, for fear that I’ll see one of you.” Chat let out a short laugh at that, “Not that I’m normally allowed to leave the house, but now I’ll be under a heavier lock and key.” 

“Don’t worry, kitty, after the whole weekend is done, I’ll come and get you and we can run around the city so you don’t feel too trapped.” She leaned forward and flicked his bell, giving him a seductive smile. 

Chat gulped a little before responding with a choked, “Sounds good.” Ladybug couldn’t help but laugh. It was easy to make him flustered when she directly flirted with him, and it would provide better ammo once she was on the show. How he was going to survive 29 _other_ girls flirting with him though, she had no idea. 

Before Marinette knew it, the weekend of her interview came. She was pushed into a hotel room with 9 other girls and was forced to interact and bond with them. They started out with the interviews, where the girls were escorted one-by-one into another hotel room and interviewed by 3 of the producers. They asked simple questions and Marinette felt really good about it. 

Then, once all 50 girls were done, they were served dinner and sent to bed. Early Saturday morning, they were escorted to the nearest hospital, where they would be getting some medical tests done. They did it in groups and rotated through. Some went to get a physical, some went to get the psych exam, some went to a drug test, some went to get fitted (the producers thought it would be easier this way and therefore could have the seamstresses working on clothes for the girls who get cast) and some went to get tested for STDs (what they thought Marinette would be doing on this show, she had no idea). 

Then came the part that Marinette had been most nervous for, the photoshoot. She was never super comfortable in front of the camera, as she was usually the designer behind it. Thankfully, they were photographing them as a group first, then breaking them up for their solo shots. Marinette’s group was in the middle, and it allowed plenty of time to watch and get tips from other girls. One of the girls in Marinette’s group named Sasha was a model and she was more than willing to give everyone some helpful tips. 

Once it was all over, the girls were forced to go to a pool party at the hotel and mingle. Marinette met lots of really nice girls there, and even had a little fun. She almost forgot what they were doing all of this for. She did notice that some of the girls didn’t get-along with everyone and one particular girl named Lila, seemed to be collecting a cult-following of other potential contestants. 

Marinette wasn’t impressed with Lila and elected to steer clear of her while she could. She reminded her too much of her high school bully Chloe Bourgeois, and she’d rather not go down that road. 

Finally, it was time for bed and almost time for her to go home. She enjoyed being with some of these girls, but she couldn’t wait to sleep in her own bed, as well as see Chat Noir tonight. The superheroes had been a popular topic among the potential contestants. Some had never been to Paris before and were hoping to see a glimpse of the super-heroes. Even though Marinette knew that wouldn’t be happening, she couldn’t help but enjoy the excitement that her presence could potential cause. 

Sunday morning came with breakfast and a meeting. Something super formal that told the girls that they would be receiving a phone call from a producer whether they are cast or not. They were also reminded to not tell anyone about the beginning of the journey, as it would spoil the fun for some of the viewers. Although Marinette knew Alya wouldn’t let her get away without ALL of the details, she agreed to their rules anyway. 

Before she knew it, she was back in her room, hugging her parents and waiting for the sun to set so she could meet up with Chat. She passed the time by helping in the bakery and as soon as dinner was eaten and cleaned up, she excused herself for the night and ran upstairs. 

She had barely come close to the Agreste Mansion when she saw someone standing at the window staring at her. Adrien was waiting for her. The thought made her heart soar, and his facial expression when he spotted her helped a ton. He quickly transformed and jumped out to meet her. 

“How was your weekend, milady?” He asked as they ran towards the Eiffel Tower. 

“Oh, it was _so much fun_ ,” the sarcasm was clearly heard and it made Chat laugh. “There was so much testing done and so many questions, and so. many. girls.” Ladybug let out a groan as they both touched down at the bottom of the tower. “Race you to the top and I’ll tell you what I can.” 

“You’re on.” 

Once at the top (Ladybug won by one second), Ladybug told him everything that had happened, only leaving out the STD test (he was going to be super awkward about that and she didn’t want to be the one to tell him) and any specific girls she had met. She didn’t want to spoil his thoughts on any of the girls just yet. Although she did mention one girl, if not by name. 

“She was just horrible, Chat. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it, but the other girls were flocking to her like she was their queen. It just didn’t sit right with me.” 

“Hopefully she won’t make it past this level. If she does though, I’ll be able to spot her and eliminate her night one.” Chat said confidently while Ladybug played with his hair. 

“We are just going to have to wait and see though.” 

“Speaking of spotting people...” Chat trailed off and Ladybug looked around, wondering who he could have seen from this high up. “Are you going to reveal your identity once you’re officially cast or should you just get it over with now?” 

Ladybug’s hands froze in his hair. She had been waiting for him to ask this, so thankfully, she had discussed and rehearsed this moment with Tikki. 

“Neither,” she replied as nonchalant as she could. 

Chat sat up fast and turned to look her in the eye. “What?”

“I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think it would be fair to the other girls if you already knew who I was. How are you going to convince the cameras, as well as all of France, that you are seriously looking for a wife out of these 30 girls if you already know one of them super well? It would show favoritism and I can’t support that.” The dumbfounded look on his face made her smile. 

“B-but, I need to know! You have to tell me! It’s only fair!” She rolled her eyes at his whine. He could be such a baby sometimes. 

“Yes, it is fair for the other contestants. Plus, it’ll be more fun if you can pick me out of a crowd. It’ll make the game on your end more exciting.” He groaned and laid back down to where she could continue scratching his head. 

“I hate when you’re right,” was all he said. 

\---------------------------------------------------- 

A couple more weeks came by and Marinette was starting to get nervous. Because of Chat, she knew that they started filming in 3 weeks, and yet she still hadn’t received a phone call. Thankfully, Alya understood her stress and swore to not call her until she found out. 

“Maybe they are just running behind?” She suggested helpfully as she spun in Marinette’s desk chair. “Maybe they want you freaking out so you’ll act more desperate on the show.” 

Marinette let out a strained laugh and then fell silent as she stared intently at her phone. 

“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘A watched phone never rings?’” Alya asked, stopping her spinning to eye Marinette in her desperate position. 

“That’s not a real saying,” She replied without looking away from her phone. 

“Even so, it’s true,” 

The days went by so slowly, Marinette was sure an akuma was responsible. By the time Friday rolled around, Marinette felt as though she’s lived through a whole month. Tikki tried to talk some sense into her, but Marinette wouldn’t hear it. 

She ended up working the whole day in the bakery, which helped take her mind off of things. When she took her lunch break, she quickly escaped upstairs to the apartment before her Maman could ask her to do something else. She quickly made her lunch and began eating. 

“Could I have that strawberry?” Tikki was sitting by her plate, staring hungrily at the very sweet-looking fruit. 

“Sure, Tikki,” Marinette responded with a smile. How lucky she got to have a kwami with a sweet tooth. She didn’t know what she would do if she had been stuck with someone like Plagg, who’s constant need for cheese, and expensive cheese at that, was hard to maintain. 

She heard a ringing and a vibrating from the counter that jerked her out of her thoughts. When she looked at her phone, it was an unknown number. Marinette’s heart sped up as she reached to answer. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi, this is Pierre from the TV studio. I’m calling to talk to Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” 

“This is she.” She had to take a sip of water because her mouth had suddenly gone dry. 

“Hi, Marinette. I just wanted to call and let you know that you’ve been cast on this season of _The Bachelor_! I am currently sending you an email with your packing list, everything you need to know pre-filming, as well as when the car will be at your house to pick you up. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. Congratulations and we will be seeing you in two weeks!” 

Marinette was staring at her plate with her mouth gaping. Tikki gave her a quick nudge and she started, suddenly realizing that she needed to say something to the man. 

“Thank you so much! I’ll see you in two weeks!” She quickly hung up so as to not say anything stupid. 

“Congratulations, Marinette! You’re going to have your work cut out for you, but I know you’ll be able to pull it off!” 

Marinette couldn’t believe it. She’d made it. She’d be able to go on a proper date with Adrien and possibly get him to fall in love with her! She didn’t realize she was screaming until her mom ran up the stairs, a worried look on her face. 

“Marinette, what’s wrong?” 

“Maman! I made it! I got cast on the show!”

Sabine engulfed her in a hug and dragged her downstairs to tell her Papa. He was so excited, he told the whole storefront, which resulted in spattered applause and a very red-faced Marinette. Numbly, she moved back upstairs to finish her lunch. 

“What an exciting day, Marinette!” Tikki said, resuming her work on her strawberry. 

“And it’s only lunch! Wait until I tell Alya!” A wonderful thought then crossed her mind and a slightly manic grin spread across her face. “Oh man, wait until I tell Chat!” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is short (sorry!) but the next couple are longer. This one sets the rest of the story up, so bear a slightly boring chapter and I promise it'll get better :-)

That night, Marinette was so excited she transformed and was at their meeting place 15 minutes before patrol was to start. She was too giddy to sit and instead spent those minutes running laps around the neighboring rooftops and trying to decide how to break the news to Chat. 

By the time he showed up, Ladybug had come up with the perfect way to tell him, even if it would be better if they had paper. Maybe they could swing by Agreste Mansion to grab some before they started. When she turned to face Chat, her cheeks were bright red and she was slightly out of breath from her laps around the rooftops. 

“Good evening milady, been waiting long for me? Or did you just get here too?” Chat said with his normal coy smile and a wink, taking in her slight pant and her colored face. Her insides melted and she suddenly forgot how to talk. It was different knowing that Adrien was beneath that mask and that she was going to be able to openly fight for him in two weeks. Just thinking of all of the coy things she could say to make him embarrassed and all of the hints she can give about her identity without making it too obvious got her excited about the show all over again. 

His expression began to turn to worry when she didn’t respond and she quickly snapped herself back to the present. “Oh, I’ve been here for a bit, but I needed to run some energy out so I took a couple laps around the neighboring rooftops while I was waiting.” 

“Oh! Why’d you get here so early?”

“I just couldn’t sit in my room any longer,” Ladybug replied, trying to make her voice sound more bitter than excited. Her plan had included not letting Chat onto the good news just yet. 

Chat nodded understandingly. She had been miserable all week waiting for the TV station to call her and Chat was VERY AWARE of her moods this week. He tried to make different jokes about it to make it all less miserable, but he quickly learned that Ladybug’s sense of humor didn’t cover jokes about mood swings. 

“Still no word from the station?” Chat asked hesitantly. He had never seemed to be afraid of Ladybug, but this week he had been walking on egg shells. 

“No, not yet,” Ladybug said, ducking her head, so he couldn’t see the small smile she wore. “How about we play a game to distract me?” She tried to make it sound like an innocent suggestion, and she hoped her excitement for what was to come couldn’t be heard. 

“I would love to milady, but don’t we have to patrol?” Chat looked at her curiously. Normally she was all about patrol first and play later. Thankfully, the game she came up with worked included patrolling, so he wouldn’t think too much of her choice. 

“The game that I have in mind allows us to patrol and play. You in?” The smile she shot Chat was playful and teasing. She knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. 

“Oh I’m in.” He announced while readying his baton for take-off.

“Great! We just have to make one little stop first.”

\----------------------------------------------------

A couple of minutes later, they were sitting on top of Agreste Mansion. Chat had a piece of paper and a pen and no idea what was happening.

“So, the moral of this game is to figure out what word I’m thinking of using letters from the places that we go to. The word is 10 letters long, so first, I need you to mark 10 spaces next to each other on the paper.” Chat did as he was instructed. “Great. Now, remember, the first letter of the place we go to is going to fill in one of those blanks. By the end, you’ll have the word.” 

Chat raised his hand like he was in school. “Are the places and letters going to be in order?” 

Ladybug laughed a little at how seriously he was taking this. She had to give him credit though, he was dedicated. “Yes, kitty, the places and letters are going to be in order.” 

“So, all I have to do to win is figure out what the word is, right? It’s like a scavenger hunt with spelling.” 

“Right! Are you ready?” 

Chat took the time to place the paper and pen inside one of his numerous pockets—she was still very bitter that her suit didn’t have any pockets—before he nodded. 

“Perfect, then follow me.” Ladybug said with a flourish of her yo-yo. She threw it out to where it landed on a nearby billboard and jumped. The exhilaration that comes with every jump came and she truly was able to enjoy being Ladybug. When there was an akuma to fight or she was rushing home before her time went out, she forgot how exciting it could be to jump off a building with only her yo-yo to keep her aloft. 

Quickly, she landed on top of the roof of Françoise Dupont High School. Once Chat joined her, she looked at him expectantly. 

“So, we’ve landed at a high school. But that’s not fair! There are 3 words here. Collège, Françoise, and Dupont. Which one is it?” 

He put on a little pout that was absolutely adorable and she couldn’t contain her giggle, “That’s all part of the game.”

He quickly pulled out his paper and began to write “C, F, or D” under the first line. While watching him do so, she piped up, “You’ll know for sure which one it is before the end, I promise.” 

He huffed a little at that and murmured an “I better,” before putting the paper and pen in their designated pocket. 

The next stop was the Obélisque de Louxor. Chat just knew it as the “really tall statue at the Place de la Concorde” so he had to do some investigative digging on the plaque for the name. After grumbling about the 2 possible letters, he put the supplies away and followed Ladybug to the next destination. 

This one was easier, or at least in Chat’s eyes. “Notre-Dame is hyphenated, so the letter has to be the ‘N!’” He whooped triumphantly and placed the “N” on the third slot. “And if the third letter is an “N” that means that the second letter has to be a vowel, so “O” must be the correct answer for that one!” He looked very proud when he glanced over to Ladybug for approval. She couldn’t help but smile back as she nodded. “Great! So we have ‘CON,’ ‘FON’ or ‘DON.’” He scrunched up his face as he thought about possible words, but clearly came up empty when he shrugged his shoulders and gestured for them to move on. 

The next stop was at the Trocadéro and then they jumped the river to the Eiffel Tower. That allowed Chat to eliminate the “F” and “D” as the first letter. “You’re making this too easy, Bug! I’ve already got half of the word, and I’m totally going to win!” He paused for a moment before turning to look at her. “What _do_ I get if I win?

She gave him a sly smile and said in a sweet voice, “I’ll tell you when you figure it out.” He frowned at that, but was easily distracted when their next stop was to the Seine. 

“So, I have C-O-N-T-E (or possibly another T) and an S. That means it has to be the ‘E’ from ‘Eiffel,’ not the ‘T’ from ‘Tower.’ It can’t be contest, that’s too short of a word. Hmmm.” Chat paused in concentration and scrunched up his face as he was thinking. Finally, he sighed and said, “Okay, give me the next one.” 

The duo flew off to stop number 7, Montparnasse Tower. There, Chat groaned loudly as he discovered that part of the word was indeed “CONTEST.” 

“Is it just one word, or is there a space I’m missing here?” Chat gave Ladybug a hard look. “How come I feel that you are leaving important information out? That would be cheating, you know.” He said while crossing his arms over his chest and giving her a very disapproving look. 

Ladybug laughed as she said, “How can I cheat if I created the game? Although I will tell you, the word you’re figuring out is part of a phrase. It reads, ‘I am a blank.’ You’re finding the blank.” 

“Well, that would have been nice to know before-hand,” Chat grumbled as he stood up and put the paper and pen away. 

“Oh, but watching you struggle has been so much more fun,” Ladybug replied with a flick of his bell. He gave her a small glare in return that just made her laugh. There wasn’t much malice behind his glare and he ended up chuckling too. “You ready, _Chaton_ , or are you going to pout all night before the game is even done?” 

Chat bowed slightly, ushering Ladybug to jump off of the roof first. She stepped up and flew across the city quickly, towards their next destination. She had a feeling Chat would guess the word, and the meaning behind the word, once they made it to this destination. 

As soon as his feet touched the top of the Arc de Triumphe, Chat had his pen and paper out. He went ahead and filled in the “A” as, “Another ‘T’ just wouldn’t make sense.” Quickly, he began trying out different kinds of words and Ladybug could almost see his brain beginning to work it out. 

She held her breath and nervously had her lip between her teeth. What if he was upset? What if he refused to talk to her now that she was a contestant because he didn’t want to “give her an advantage?” She had already cleared Sunday nights off with the producers—after a hasty email sent as a reply to her packing list, since she was so in shock with the phone call she had forgotten to mention it. She was going to be able to patrol with him then, what if he told her that he couldn’t patrol with her anymore? What would she do if she couldn’t have some decent alone time with him outside of the show for the next couple of months? 

Chat’s gasp quickly brought Ladybug out of her spiraling thoughts and forced her to focus on the present. “You... you’re going to be a contestant?” He asked breathlessly. The look on his face was a mixture of pure happiness and shock. 

She gave him a slight nod and a curtsy and said, “So happy to finally meet, my bachelor,” before he tackled her in a hug. 

“I’m so excited you’re going to be there,” he whispered into her hair. 

“Me too.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The next day, Alya reacted exactly as Marinette thought that she would. Her ears were still ringing with Alya’s screams as she was hastily writing down all of the things Alya demanded that she do before she went on the show.

“I’m going to let you slide on the hair dye part of it, since I honestly don’t think your hair would change colors very well, but we need to get a haircut for sure. We also need to handle these nails and work on your eyebrows. I would also consider getting an eyelash perm before you left so you don’t have to worry about having straight-as-a-board eyelashes. Lastly—”

“I’m sorry, an _eyelash perm_? Where in the world have you heard of that before?” Marinette was laughing at the idea of someone getting chemicals on their eyelashes in order to make them constantly curled for a while. 

“I read about it during my research,” Alya said, trying to brush it off. 

“What research?” 

“You know... the research. For the article. About the thing.” One look at Marinette’s face and Alya cracked. “Okay, fine. The research I did to find out what my best friend needed to do once she got cast on the show. I looked up what all of the American contestants do last week since I knew you were going to make it and I wanted to be prepared.” Alya smiled sheepishly at Marinette and then was engulfed in a hug. 

“What did I do to deserve a best friend like you?”

\----------------------------------------------------

Alya made all of the appointments for Marinette that week,—even one for an eyelash perm, that Marinette begrudgingly went to— helped her sort through her closet and her make-up and her hair products for just the right stuff to bring and even helped her stuff all of it into the two suitcases she was allowed to bring with her.

“How do the girls normally do this? And normally they have to bring their own clothes?” Alya said as she wrestled with Suitcase #1. Marinette had been working on Suitcase #2 for about 5 minutes before she finally got it zipped. “Here, hold down this side and I’ll zip up the other.” 

Marinette did as she was told and had a moment to admire her freshly done nails. Her hair and skin had never looked better before and she was starting to feel nervous about meeting the other girls officially. And honestly, she was starting to get nervous about how the other girls would act around Adrien specifically. Marinette hoped that she would be able to stay true to herself and not become some pawn in the show that acted differently in front of the cameras. 

“Got it!” Alya announced proudly. She sat down exhaustedly on Marinette’s chaise and turned to look around the room. It seemed a little empty now that everything was packed in the two suitcases before them. “I can’t believe you’re going to be gone for like 3 months.” 

“Alya, you’ve known for 2 weeks now.” Marinette moved towards Alya and joined her on the chaise.

“I know, I know. It just finally feels real. Like before with all of the appointments and hair/make-up experiments and other _fun_ things, it felt like a game or a story. Now that you’re leaving tomorrow...” Her voice trailed off and Marinette leaned over to give Alya a hug. 

“I’ll make you a promise. No matter what happens on the show, I’ll write to you weekly, detailing everything. You’ll know everything before everyone else does, you just can’t tell anyone or write me back.” Normally, the contestants aren’t allowed to have paper or anything like that, but Marinette had gotten special permission to have her sketch book, solely because the show was being financed by Gabriel. Whether she wrote letters with her sketch book and mailed them on Sunday’s during patrols, well... what the producers didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. 

“I’m listening,” Alya egged, making Marinette giggle. 

“And I promise that no matter what happens, you’ll always be my best friend. And that if I win, you’ll get all of the credit for the work you’ve put into me these past two weeks.” 

“Now that sounds like a deal.” 

Alya ended staying the night with Marinette so she could send her off and say proper goodbyes the next morning. Sabine woke Marinette up with enough time to feed her, double check the packing list, and fuss over her appearance like the mom she was. By the time the limo had arrived, the four of them had gathered in the bakery for final hugs. 

“The best way to make friends is through their stomachs,” Tom had said while passing Marinette a box of pastries for the people at the staging center. He gave her a big hug and held on for a while, though Marinette wasn’t complaining. 

Sabine gave her a similar hug, but whispered in her ear while doing so, “Just remember that even when it feels like you’re alone, you never are. Be aware of your actions and don’t let the producers push you to be someone you are not.” Sabine’s voice caught as she squeezed Marinette a little harder and continued on, “Stay true to yourself and come home as our Marinette, not someone who has been tainted by the show.” When Marinette let go, she had tears in her eyes. How her Maman always knew what was bothering Marinette, she’d never know, but her words were welcome. 

Alya’s hug wasn’t as long, as the girls had their moment the night before. After a quick hug and a whispered, “Bring home the gold,” that left Marinette laughing, she grabbed her suitcases, her box of pastries and her purse with Tikki in it and headed outside. The limo driver helped her place her bags in the trunk and she offered him a pastry before they headed out. Since Marinette was the only contestant from Paris, she would arrive alone. That meant that she would spend the 20-minute drive trying not to freak out over everything that could happen next.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready to meet some original characters this chapter! Let the games begin ;)

Adrien was in bed, nervously staring at his ceiling. Today was the day that 30 women would show up to the mansion. They would meet each other and be put in their Gabriel-brand dresses and then given time to do hair and make-up while at a warehouse downtown. Then, they would be moved and sent to meet him one by one in a limo and would participate in a cocktail party. Finally, he would have to cut the pool of girls down from 30 to 22. No matter which way Adrien looked at it, it was going to be a long day. 

_But Ladybug will be there_. That was the only thought that got him out of bed when the producer assigned to moving Adrien from place to place as the show went along (He considered her to be the TV version of Natalie, but he still hadn’t caught her name, so in his head he called her the Mini-Natalie) had begun calling at his door for him to get up. Today consisted of trying to memorize the names and pictures of the girls, hair and make-up, doing interviews about how he feels pre-meetings, and more hair and make-up before the girls began showing up at exactly nightfall. But, there was a ray of sunshine at the end of this tunnel, and it was covered in polka dots. 

Adrien put on some acceptable clothes, brushed his teeth and his hair, and just barely remembered to grab Plagg from his pillow before he was rushed to a studio with a bagel in his mouth. They planned on taking videos of him doing natural things in his life, but they had set it all up in a studio so it would be just right. He felt anything but natural posing and walking around the fake sidewalk and scenery. 

After he had finished with those, they moved him to a grey screen-covered area where Adrien was to do various poses with a long-stemmed rose. He felt even more awkward doing these shots than he had doing the “natural posing” earlier. They made him smile really bright and act like he was “in love.” Thankfully, all he had to do was think of Ladybug and finding out her identity and he then had the perfect look for these shots down. 

They also made him work out with weights for about an hour while filming the whole thing. This wasn’t too terrible as his Father made him do similar things now that he was out of high school in order for him to keep his body shape. (If only he knew about his runs as Chat Noir, the gym workouts would be unnecessary) Though normally he did all of his workouts with a shirt on. Either that or a skin-tight leather suit. Then, and honestly the most embarrassing of all, they took a large number of shots of Adrien showering. Why, the world needed to see Adrien shirtless with water running through his hair and down his chest he literally had no idea. Thankfully he was allowed to wear swim trunks, so as to not be too _exposed_. But, his many years of modeling had taught Adrien never to argue with the director and he figured that applied in this situation as well. 

Once the B-roll shots were taken, Adrien was whisked away for hair and make-up and another, more formal outfit for the interviews. They asked him too many questions and he just had to keep acting excited about everything that was going on. Some of the questions were just too personal or sounded funny, but Plagg was having a blast silently laughing at what Adrien was saying. Occasionally, Adrien would “stretch” and slap his pocket where Plagg was hiding. He was rewarded with a squeal and some silence for about 5 minutes before Plagg would start up again. 

He was coached to be honest about some things, so when they asked about the first Rose Ceremony tonight and if he was nervous, he had no shame in saying absolutely. He cited possibly not being able to get a feel for every girl tonight as well as having to remember their names as the reason for his nervousness. Although those were true, he was mostly worried that his Lady would slip past his notice and be cut before he could figure out it was her. His only saving grace was that tomorrow was Sunday, so it wouldn’t take long for him to discover his mistake. 

The questions never seemed to end, and when he asked why there were so many, the director explained that since they had to make a ton of promotional videos to get the word about the show out, as well as fill in stuff for the first episode, they had to have an abundance of material. That, at least, made sense to Adrien. He tried to play up to the camera as much as he could, but by the end he was over it. 

It was almost time for dinner and then the start of the show when the director reached the final question, “In your honest opinion, Adrien, do you think this could work? Do you think you’ll be able to find love?” 

Without any hesitation, Adrien’s smiled softened as he began to think about Ladybug. His response of, “I truly believe that I will meet my soulmate tonight,” earned him a handful of “awes” and sighs from the production staff. With the knowledge that he had at least given one camera-worthy response, he allowed himself to be dragged away from the set and into, yet another, stylist chair.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was feeling just as stressed as Adrien, but for a whole different reason. As soon as she arrived, she had an uneasy feeling. The limo driver had dropped her off at a warehouse building on the outskirts of town. It wasn’t a place she visited often as Ladybug, and so she was very unfamiliar with the area. Once inside, she was immediately ushered to a conference room where the girls were going to meet the people in charge of them and receive the concrete schedule for that day. When she asked about her luggage, a lady told her that it was going to be held by the workers in case she got cut tonight and needed to head straight home.

“But don’t worry sweetheart, nothing’s going to happen to your things, but if you make it through tonight, you’ll be moved into the mansion quickly.” The lady gave Marinette a once over and then said, “And when you get sent home, we’ll take care of everything for you.” For some reason, Marinette wasn’t put at ease. 

The conference room felt crowded with all thirty of the girls as well as a handful of producers. Marinette sat, looked around the room, and was whispering to Tikki underneath her breath. “I hope some of the girls who I met while we were getting interviewed and photographed made it. It’d be nice to see a familiar face. Or I should say, a familiar _friendly_ face.” The annoying girl who made all of the other girls flock to her from the interview weekend, Lila, had been cast and Marinette was less than thrilled. 

“I could scope out the room for you, Marinette!” 

“No, I don’t want you to get lost in all of the chaos. I may let you do some exploring later. Thank you for offering, though.” Marinette gave Tikki a smile and reached her hand in to brush her finger against Tikki’s cheek. Tikki hugged her back and settled down in the purse. It took Tikki a couple of weeks, but eventually, she came around to the idea of Marinette participating. She even helped her stay calm when she was freaking out about packing and Alya hadn’t been called yet. Marinette was very grateful that she had Tikki throughout this process. She couldn’t imagine only having the other contestants to talk to all of the time and occasionally Adrien. Tikki’s going to help keep her sane. 

An older man walked up to the front of the room and a hush quickly fell over the girls. There were a couple of other people around him, but he clearly was the one in charge, since everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to speak. 

“Hello ladies. My name is Mike Fleiss, and I am the producer for the American version of _The Bachelor_. I’ve been asked to oversee this season to help push the show to be as successful as its counterpart over the seas.” He spoke French pretty well for an American, even if he did have an accent of sorts. 

“I’m excited to see what this amazing and beautiful group of girls brings and I know that you all will jump start the Bachelor franchise very well. With that being said, we do have some “house rules” as you would call it, so let’s begin by going over those. Please pay attention, as you will be signing a piece of paper stating that you have gone over these rules with me. 

The most important rule for you to remember is that you are not allowed to leave the mansion no matter what, unless you are on a date and are accompanied by Adrien or a producer. As long as you are in the show, you are our responsibility and we will not allow you to put yourself in harms way.” 

One rule in and Marinette already knew she had to break it. She couldn’t _not_ leave if an akuma attacked. And she had had promised Adrien that she would meet up with him every Sunday as Ladybug, and there was no way she was backing out of that. Thankfully, she could be sneaky and work around that one rule. 

“There is also no use of phones or any other sort of technology that connects you to the outside world. There is no internet at this mansion and you are not allowed to have books of any kind except for the Bible unless preapproved by us.” Her sketch book was preapproved so she was good on that. “Please also note that music players are allowed but music can only be heard through earbuds for copyright reasons. 

“Once inside the mansion, you are expected to do your own cooking, cleaning, and laundry. The mansion is already stocked with certain necessities, but if you ever need anything to cook with or you run out of something, let a producer know and we can make a trip to the store for you.” Considering Marinette did most of that for herself already, she wasn’t too worried. And maybe she could make friends by cooking some stuff for others too, so that could be fun. 

“Also, today and the day we shoot the last episode are the only days that the studio will do your hair and make-up. Every other day, you will be required to do it. Also, if you remember, when you were interviewed you were also measured and sized. That is because every outfit that you wear during the filming of this show is going to be a Gabriel piece. Gabriel Agreste has been very kind in allowing the show to do that and his people have picked out various outfits for you to choose from for tonight. Please note that if an outfit of yours goes missing when you are cut from the show, you will be fined and a police report will be filed.” 

There were murmurs at that comment. The girl sitting closest to Marinette leaned over and whispered, “Wow that’s a lot for a missing dress,” Although Marinette understood _why_ Gabriel was doing this, it still didn’t make it fun. What designer can make money if they give their clothes away, even if his outfits are _ridiculously_ expensive. 

“Now,” Mr. Fleiss’ voice brought all of the girls to silence again and he continued once he had all of their attention. “as you probably guessed, there are going to be cameras everywhere. If someone asks you for an interview, you do not decline. Everywhere you go, a camera goes. The only place they will not follow you into is the bathroom, but they will stand outside of the door and record sounds so be aware of that.” Mr. Fleiss paused as he seemed to make sure that everything had been covered. 

“That should be everything. If you have any questions, whether about the rules or the journey, please feel free to ask.” That moment was the first time that Marinette had seen him smile and with that smile, he gestured to the people stationed to the side of the rows of girls. “We have reached the fun part. If you would do the honors gentlemen,” the men started passing out bags to the girls closest to them and working their way around the room. “All of you are receiving a gift bag provided by our generous sponsors. Inside, you will find various hair products, different types of make-up, as well as some sunscreen and a lovely padded bikini gifted by Gabriel for you to use during the filming. And yes, before you ask, you can take the bikinis home with you.” 

Excited chatter broke across the room as the girls got their bags and began pulling stuff out and looking through it. Marinette looked in hers and noticed a tube of waterproof mascara, a container of highlighter, a bottle of hair shining spray, a self-tanning lotion, the tube of sunscreen and her bikini, which was a bright red color. Red was a good color for her, for obvious reasons, and the padded bra part was nice as Marinette’s chest could use a little bit of help in that area. 

“That’s really nice of them!” Tikki whispered from Marinette’s purse. 

“I’m surprised they found so many sponsors for the show since it is so new here. This is some good, quality stuff here too. And now I can say I own a Gabriel original!” Marinette let out a tiny squeal. 

“I wouldn’t be too excited about that,” Tikki said with a laugh. “There’s not that much material here to make it too much of an original!” 

“Oh hush!” Marinette scolded, though her giggles made it seem less threatening than it was intended to be. 

Mr. Fleiss clapped and called the girls to attention. “Yes, yes, very exciting, but we have one more thing to discuss. The schedule for today. In about 20 minutes, you will be dismissed in groups of 5 to go and be worked on by our stylists. Once your hair and make-up is completed, you will be guided to your assigned dressing area, where your pre-picked dresses are waiting for you to choose from. A word of advice from someone who has worked on many seasons of this show: pick this dress wisely. If it’s too gaudy, Adrien won’t be interested. If it’s too plain, he won’t remember you.

“And speaking of remembering, tonight you will have a chance to make a first impression. When you first get out of the limo, your look is what matters. When you walk up to Adrien though, you will be expected to have a minute conversation with him. Do something or say something to make him remember you. All of these need to be approved by Victoria,” He pointed to a lady with a clipboard who was standing by the door in the back. All of the girls were so still and quiet, you could have heard a pen drop. 

“He is not going to remember your name and want to keep you around if you don’t do something to catch his attention. You will have another chance to catch his attention during the cocktail party, so you can plan something a little more elaborate for then. During the cocktail party, however, it is your responsibility to find time with Adrien. Please keep everything you do appropriate and if you need anything not available in this building, let one of us know and we’ll make it happen for tonight.” 

“The first group will be called in 15 minutes,” Victoria called out before walking out the door. 

It took about a minute before the girls began chatting with everyone around them. They were all brainstorming on different ways they could make a good first impression. A girl a couple rows in front of her was explaining that she thought she could do a couple of backflips once out of the limo, she would just need to practice doing them in heels. Marinette thought that was a super cool idea and moved onto the next conversation. Everyone seemed to have an idea, no matter how out there it seemed. 

“Tikki, what do you think—” 

Before she could finish her sentence, the girl sitting directly next to Marinette, who was taller than Marinette by about 5 inches, had long blonde hair and a sweet smile, turned to her and caught her arm, preventing Marinette from conversing with Tikki. 

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Hanna and I’m from Camembert, France, you know like the cheese? My family are farmers and I am so excited to be here in the city. What’s your name? Where are you from? What do you think you’re going to do once you’re out of the limo?” She seemed to speak without taking a breath and Marinette mentally thanked Alya for her ability to understand what she had said. 

“Umm, hi! My name is Marinette, I’m from Paris and I don’t know just yet.” She tried not to sound too distraught about not knowing what to do, but her nervous jitters where getting the best of her. 

Hanna began to ramble about all of the amazing things she’s seen of Paris and how excited she was to meet Adrien and nervous of making a good impression, and on and on. Marinette smiled at her speaking with such excitement about being able to drive past a real shopping mall. 

This girl, Hanna, seemed so innocent and cheerful and friendly and Marinette wondered how in the world she was going to fair in the competition. Especially with girls like Lila to manipulate her. In that moment, Marinette decided to befriend her and hopefully keep her out of harm’s way. Marinette stole a glance at Tikki, who gave her an approving nod and a smile. 

Hanna was currently stressing about what she was going to do tonight when Marinette interrupted her. “Hey, I’m sure everything is going to be okay! Let’s brainstorm ideas together. What do you enjoy doing? Anything we can use to make you pop?” 

Hanna talked for about 5 more minutes about all of the different things she could do, each idea worse than the last. Eventually, Marinette picked out that Hanna enjoyed singing karaoke with her family after dinner. When Marinette gently suggested that she bring a karaoke machine and sing a little to Adrien right out of the limo, Hanna jumped on the idea. She gathered Marinette in a bone-crushing hug and thanked her profusely. After letting go, she brought the idea up to Victoria, and was quickly scanning through a provided list of songs and deciding how romantic the song she sang needed to be when the first group was called. 

“Attention ladies. I need Alice, Celeste, Jeanne, Juliette, and Hanna for hair and make-up.” 

Hanna squealed and dropped her list on the ground out of excitement. Marinette quickly picked it up and passed it to her, accepting another hug from Hanna and promising to find her later today before the filming started. 

After she was off and Marinette was alone, she began brainstorming for herself. She had plenty of ideas of what she could do, each more insane than the last. At first, she thought of doing yo-yo tricks, or showing up in a red and black dress, or starting with some insane Ladybug-style tricks, but Tikki decided it was too obvious and that it wouldn’t be fair for the other girls if Adrien found out tonight, right off the bat. Thankfully Tikki had vetoed the idea, because she heard of another contestant who was doing that same thing. Apparently, it had gotten out that Adrien was a fan of Ladybug, so everyone from France (there were a couple of Swedish girls, one from Belgium, and of course, the Italian model, Lila) jumped at the opportunity to impress him using the super-heroine as a starting point. 

Soon, she was out of ideas and Marinette needed an idea that would make her stand out. She was trying not to be bitter about coming up with no ideas. She had an advantage over the others, and yet she couldn’t think of anything that would be good enough for her to do. What did she know that her Kitty loved that could blow him out of the water without fully giving away her identity? 

She was feeling helpless and stupid and annoyed when she overheard a conversation from some other contestants, one of whom was also having trouble coming up with something creative. 

“Just use your personality! If everyone else is doing something crazy as soon as they see him, be the one normal girl he talks to.” 

Marinette jerked her head up. Personality. She knew _all about_ Adrien’s personality, or really, the personality he displayed as Chat. He claimed that Chat was his true personality, not the stuffy one his father made him have in his presence. Suddenly, she was so overcome with an idea, she was surprised it took her so long to think of it. It was brilliant and memorable and exactly something that her Kitty would love to hear tonight. A deep smile spread across her face as she ran to line up in front of Victoria, who was getting ready to call the next group. She wasn’t exactly going to be her normal, Ladybug self, but she was going to knock Adrien off of his feet.

\----------------------------------------------------

Forty-five minutes later and Marinette’s group, the last one, was being called. She was rushed to a stylist chair where people began to swarm around her, grabbing her hair or moving her face in different directions. By the time they stepped away, Marinette almost didn’t recognize herself in the mirror. Her hair was loose and styled with soft curls with an intricate braid that hid her bangs. Her make-up was well-done and highlighted all of the important features.

She was then moved to a changing room that she shared with the other girls in her style group. Once she found the dress rack with her name on it, she began flipping through, looking for the perfect color and style dress. She finally found one that wouldn’t bring attention to her small chest but would make her curves stand out. And it was the exact color of her eyes, which would make them pop. 

Soon she was sitting at a table with all of the other girls, who looked just as beautiful as she did, and chattering with Hanna about tonight. Once all of Marinette’s group sat down, they were called to attention and given the piece of paper for them to sign stating that they had heard and agree to follow the rules of the House. They also had to put when they were expecting their next period, which startled Marinette. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one, but she did as she was asked. 

They were then given the opportunity to eat and after about 30 minutes, Victoria was calling the girls and putting them in the order that they would appear before Adrien. They would ride to the mansion in groups, then wait their turns as the limo brought each girl individually to see Adrien. The girls who had non-limo entrances (one girl was riding in on a horse) would be instructed when it would be their turn to walk (or ride) in. Otherwise, the limo drivers were in charge of the timing. 

Marinette, who was stationed towards the middle, right behind Hanna and in front of a girl named Anna, was excited and yet nervous. Tikki had to hide in her bra since no bags were allowed in the mansion the first day. Although it was kind of awkward for both of them, Marinette was happy to have Tikki so close, as it would be easier to talk to her as the night went along. And she had a feeling they would have lots to talk about. 

Soon the first set of girls were being put in their limo and driven to the mansion. In about an hour, Marinette would be face-to-face with the man of her dreams.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien suddenly couldn’t breath and his hands were all sweaty as his limo was driven to the mansion where the girls he was going to date would be living. Mini-Natalie was in the car with him and was instructing him what would happen as they drove up.

“You will get out of the car and will be recorded. So please be aware of what you say and how you react. Chris will meet you and will chat with you about tonight, and then the first girl will appear. Chris will tell you when. Follow his lead, he knows what he is doing.” 

Chris Harrison was the host for the American version and Adrien had met him a couple of times. He seemed like a nice guy, but it was weird that all this man did for a living was watch people date each other and make occasional comments. They had Alec, the normal reality show host for most of Paris’s entertainment, shadowing him, but they wanted the first season to have an experienced host so it was more of a smooth time filming. Adrien was just grateful to have someone who understood the show well enough to help guide him through this rollercoaster.

The limo pulled to a stop and Mini-Natalie, shooed him out. He stepped out and was greeted by really bright lights in front of this gorgeous mansion. It had to be at least 3 floors and had a jaw-dropping look to it. No wonder they picked this to be the location for the show. 

“Evening Adrien,” Chris greeted him at the place where the concrete turned from driveway to sidewalk. Adrien could see a camera filming him as he walked to shake Chris’ hand. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m a little excited and nervous,” Adrien responded. 

“That’s completely normal. Tonight’s going to be a lot. You’re going to meet a lot of girls. Do you believe you’ll be able to find the one through this journey?” 

“Honestly Chris I do. I’m excited to see what tonight brings and hopefully I can make a good first impression.” 

Chris laughed at that, “I believe that’s what the girls will be hoping too.” He stuck his hand out for another handshake and Adrien took it as Chris said, “Good luck tonight, the first limo is coming around the corner.” 

“Thank you.” Adrien looked toward the end of the driveway and did indeed see a limo poking out. 

The cameras were switched off and Mini-Natalie, who had exited the limo after the cameras had followed Adrien, began positioning him on the sidewalk. Once he was set and Mini-Natalie walked away to make sure he looked good in the cameras, Adrien took a moment to be excited. He was going to meet his lady tonight, even if he didn’t know which one she was going to be. 

Once it had been decided that Adrien looked good, they motioned the first limo to approach the house. Plagg, who had been asleep in Adrien’s pocket, woke up from his nap, claiming that he didn’t want to miss anything that the girls did or said tonight. Adrien rolled his eyes at that. 

“Well if you’re going to be awake then know, no comments, no matter what the girls say or do, you don’t get to say a word. We’ll have time for your commentary later,” At that, Plagg opened his mouth to protest, but was cut-off when the first limo came to a stop in front of the house and the door clicked open.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: LONG Chapter ahead, but I think it's worth your time :-)

So. Many. Girls. The first handful of girls went by so quickly and wowed him with many different ways of introducing themselves, that he really didn’t know what was happening most of the time. One girl came in doing backflips and actually did a pretty impressive job, even in heels. Another girl came in a wedding dress, veil and all. One girl had even shown up in a fencing outfit, which was super cool and Adrien was able to show off some of his hard-earned fencing skills from high school. 

He noticed a common theme with the dress colors (with the exception of the wedding dress), as almost every girl was wearing some shade of either red, green, or black. Someone must have let slip that he was a fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir, because everyone from France was sporting something resembling the superheroes. 

Even if some of the entrances had been fun, Adrien had only met about half of the girls (or so he was told, he was having trouble keeping track) when he became very overwhelmed with the number. While waiting for a limo to produce a new girl for Adrien to meet, Chris came up to ask Adrien how he was doing. 

“How am I supposed to remember all of these names?” Adrien asked, panic clearly heard in his voice. 

Chris gave a light chuckle. “We’re here to help you with that. Once you go into the cocktail party, don’t be afraid to ask the girls to remind you of their name. The producers will also be there to help you. We have picture cards with their names on them to help you when you need.” 

Adrien relaxed a little at that. “Picture cards. People are here to help me. I can do this. It can be done,” he mumbled to Plagg, who was yawning from Adrien’s pocket. 

“I don’t know why you would want to remember their names. They’re all so boring.” Plagg gave another exaggerated yawn. “When do I get my cheese.” 

“Later. Right now, you’re supposed to be on the lookout for Ladybug.” Adrien huffed. He could see the next limo rounding the corner and quickly stood up straighter. 

Plagg rolled his eyes at that. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” 

When the limo stopped, Adrien noticed that there seemed to be music coming out of it. He looked around trying to find the source, but no one behind the cameras were looking confused. Finally, he pinpointed the sound to be coming from the limo itself. No other limos had been playing music, and Adrien was instantly intrigued as to why this one was different. 

The girl who walked out of the limo was average height, had long blonde hair and a sweet smile. She was carrying a box of some kind and a microphone and Adrien was pretty sure that’s where the sound was coming from. Before he could open his mouth to say hello, she began to sing, karaoke-style. Her voice wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t terrible either. Adrien didn’t recognize the song, but it clearly was some type of love song. 

As awkward as this was, Adrien respected the girl for putting herself out there like that. It was an interesting way of being greeted and he was excited that someone that bold would do something like that. Adrien couldn’t help as a smile spread across his face. She sang for about 30 seconds before she smiled and turned the music off. 

Adrien politely clapped, “Wow! I’m Adrien. That was awesome and so brave what you just did!” 

“Thank you! I’m Hanna and I’m from Camembert, France and I’m so excited to finally meet you!” Hanna rushed out, taking Adrien’s hand and giving him a one-armed hug. When she pulled away, Adrien could feel Plagg vibrating with excitement in his shirt pocket. _So much for boring_. 

“Camembert, huh? Like the cheese?” 

“Yeah! My parents are farmers.” Hanna responded with a smile. Adrien really needed this conversation to be over, because if it wasn’t over soon, Plagg was actually going to ask this girl if she could be his new miraculous holder. And that was no way to out himself as Chat Noir. Of all the farm towns in France, this girl just _had_ to be from Camembert. 

“Oh, I’d love to hear more! We can talk more inside.” Adrien responded as he moved her down the pathway that lead to the mansion. 

As soon as she was out of sight, Plagg squealed. “Marry her. She’s the one. That’s your soulmate. We need to ask her to see the camembert and where it is made, like now.” 

“Plagg,” Adrien groaned. “I can’t just pick a winner on the first night. This is a process. Calm down, or no _actual, physical_ camembert later.” 

Plagg just sighed and responded with a, “If you kick her out tonight I’m leaving with her.” 

Adrien was thankful for the distraction of a new limo. Once it stopped, a gorgeous dark-haired girl stepped out. She had on this beautiful blue dress that was the exact shade of her eyes. She was smaller, but her smile was dazzling. As she walked up to him, Adrien forgot how to talk. 

“Ummm, wow. I mean, hi. I’m Adrien.” 

“I know,” she giggled. He felt his face grow red. _Of course_ she knew who he was, he was a famous model and very well broadcasted for this show. 

“Can I just say, uh, wow you look amazing.” Adrien finally managed to get out. 

“Thank you,” she responded with a sly smile. “You look _purr_ -fect tonight, as well.” 

Adrien’s jaw dropped. “Did you—was that a...” 

“I’m so glad that I finally got to meet you Adrien, as I am _pawsitive_ that this relationship will go far.” 

Adrien just stood there with his mouth wide open and he couldn’t remember how to breathe, much less say words or carry on a conversation with this girl.

“Honestly,” she continued on, smirking at his reaction to her puns, “is there Wifi around here, because I’m _feline_ a strong connection between us.” She shot him a smile and a wink, patted his shoulder and said, “I’ll see you inside,” before walking up the pathway. 

“But—wait I—” Adrien made to stop her but was too slow to react. He watched her walk away, shocked and elated and still very red from the encounter. He turned back toward the driveway and said to the crew, “I didn’t even get her name.” 

He could hear slight chuckling from them as they all turned to get ready for the next limo to arrive. 

“I just—Plagg, what—Pick-up lines AND cat puns? Wow, where has that girl been all my life?” Plagg just sighed and turned over in Adrien’s pocket, clearly not impressed. He could have sworn that he murmured, “But she’s not from Camembert,” but Adrien couldn’t be sure.

\----------------------------------------------------

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Marinette scolded herself quietly, to where only Tikki could hear. There were sitting in the corner of the room, Marinette with a glass of red wine blocking her mouth from onlookers as she spoke. “I can’t believe I forgot to give him my name. My name for Christ’s sake! Now he’s never going to remember who I am and he’ll send me home tonight and my whole plan will be ruined.” Marinette sighed exasperatedly.

Tikki patted Marinette’s chest in a comforting way, “It’ll be okay, Marinette! Just make sure you mention your name when you talk to him later tonight.” Although her words were encouraging it was clear that Tikki was struggling to hold back a laugh. 

Marinette shot her a look. “You’re laughing at me,” 

“No, I’m not.” she replied quickly, biting her lip to keep a giggle from escaping. 

“Tikki! This is not funny! I would have made a really memorable entrance if it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t even tell him my name!” Marinette’s voice had gotten a little loud at that (the alcohol was affecting her volume control) but thankfully at just that moment, a new girl bust into the room and began sobbing. Everyone rushed to her side, including Marinette, needing to know what had forced the girl to break down into tears. 

“He—barely—even—talked to me!” She sobbed. There were girls rubbing her back and bringing her some water and generally trying to console her. A camera crew had followed close behind as she entered and was recording the whole thing. “He—kept—spacing—out” she took a deep breath and a gulp of the water and continued in a steadier voice, “It’s as if he was thinking of something else and didn’t have the head space to listen to me.” At that, her lip trembled and her sobs started over again. 

The girl, who Marinette quickly learned was named Anna and was one of the girls from Sweden, pieced together the rest of her entrance with all of the girls listening intently, no doubt comparing theirs to hers. He kept murmuring about puns, and didn’t even bat an eye when she dropped a (rather provocative) pick-up line on him. 

“I just don’t know what I could have done to make him dislike me this early,” Anna eventually got out. 

Marinette couldn’t stand it anymore. She quickly walked away to get a fresh drink (they were allowed two an hour after all, but she had really only planned on drinking one more) and converse more with Tikki. 

“Oh my gosh, Tikki, did I do that?” Tikki just gave Marinette a small giggle and a nod. “But, how?” 

“You were too nervous to see his face like I did Marinette! He was awestruck with you! He even tried to chase after you and right after you were gone told the camera crew that he didn’t even get your name in an awestruck voice. What you thought that was a bad thing, he saw it more intriguing.” Tikki politely explained before breaking into a smile and a giggle. “You impressed him so much, he forgot to be nice to the girl after you.” 

Marinette heard the distinct clack of heels coming her way and she quickly shushed Tikki and began walking towards the door. 

“Hey, you’ve got to come see this! Anna is demanding another chance to talk to Adrien and we can see it all go down from the windows!” The girl quickly ran off and Marinette followed. 

Sure enough, Anna was standing there waiting for the girl who was currently talking to Adrien to finish. Clearly, he had recovered, and since Marinette didn’t see any other new faces, she assumed it was because the producers took a minute to talk to him before the next girl showed up. 

“God there she goes,” Lila announced to the group in a none-too-pleasant voice. She looked absolutely ridiculous, by the way, completely decked out in a full Gabriel wedding dress. It was much more provocative than a normal Gabriel wedding dress (which Marinette knew _nothing_ about, of course), with her boobs almost completely hanging out and the bodice and skirt hugging her curves to her knees. From there it flared out and had an exaggeratedly long train and even a veil that sat perched on head, held there by a tiara. Marinette’s inner designer was appalled that someone could do that to a Gabriel original, as it had been clearly altered, but Marinette also wasn’t in charge. Thankfully, it just made Lila look gaudy and like she was trying too hard, rather than an actual bride. 

Anna was indeed walking up to Adrien, a little bit of a fire lit beneath her. Adrien noticed the movement from behind and turned to see her. It was obvious that he was confused, but he hid it really well with a smile and said, “Hi, is there something wrong in the house?” 

Anna was taken back by his kind voice and you could see some of the fire in her go out. She gave him a soft smile and said, “I just, didn’t feel as though I introduced myself well enough earlier. You seemed a bit out of it, so I wanted to try again.” 

The producers in the background were waving the next limo off to allow the cameras a chance to get all of Anna and Adrien’s conversation. 

She introduced herself and Adrien was able to respond with the correct questions and even blushed when she delivered her pick-up line again. Satisfied, she gave a sexy, “See you inside,” and then turned on her heel back towards the mansion. The girls around the window, including Marinette, quickly scattered. Even though it wasn’t against the rules to spy on her, they didn’t want Anna to find out and be upset. 

“Wow, if this is what the rest of the show is going to be like, you have your work cut out for you!” Tikki whispered. Marinette couldn’t help but agree. 

The next hour was very uneventful, besides a girl named Celeste showing up in her family’s helicopter. The girls had recently been gently guided to go sit on a certain set of couches, and Marinette made sure she was sitting on the very edge right next to the doorway. She then took a minute to count how many girls were gathered. 

“What are you doing?” Hanna asked. She had come in right before Marinette did and once she found her, she hadn’t left her side. Marinette was grateful, as she was easier to talk to since they had already become friends before they arrived at the mansion that day. It took a lot of the pressure off of making friends tonight and allowed Marinette to enjoy the event more. 

“I’m counting.” Marinette explained. “If there are 30 of us in here, Adrien is going to be coming inside soon. If not, I want to know how many more girls we have coming before we get to see him again.” 

“Ooh that’s so smart!” Hanna responded. She let Marinette finished counting before she asked, “How many?” 

“29.” Marinette said glumly. It was already nearing 10:30 and they still hadn’t even gotten past introductions. How much longer was this night going to take? 

At that moment, a new girl walked into the area and was given a glass and told to sit down on the edge of the couch. A couple of girls began a conversation with the newest one while most of the others were engaged in a conversation about Adrien. They kept gushing about what he had said, what he was wearing, how handsome he was, and on and on. Marinette loved the guy too (very literally) but she didn’t want to spend the entire night talking about him. 

Thankfully, a hush began to fall over the girls as Adrien himself walked into the door next to Marinette. He gave an awkward smile as all eyes fell on him. A girl, Marinette thought her name was Zoe, handed Adrien a drink and he held onto it but didn’t take a sip. 

“Good evening ladies,” he began, and Marinette heard half of the room swoon. “It has been a blast meeting you this evening. I’m very excited to be able to further conversations with you all” his eyes scanned the group of girls and landed directly on Marinette. She felt herself blush under his gaze. “So, with that being said, to good conversations and an enlightening night.” He raised his glass, and all of the girls followed suit with a slightly shrill “Cheers!” 

Marinette didn’t even bother taking a sip before she was on her feet walking towards Adrien. She gave him a dazzling smile and said as sweetly as she could, “Can I steal you for a second?” 

Adrien’s smile seemed to widen as he responded with an, “Of course,” and allowed himself to be whisked away by Marinette and a camera crew. She walked the two of them outside to where there were various couches and patio furniture set up for this specific reason. Once they both sat down, Marinette paused, not knowing how to begin this conversation. Thankfully, she didn’t have to. 

“Okay, I’ve been dying to know. What is your name and where have you been all my life?” Adrien was staring at her as if she hung the moon and was just so in _awe_. Tikki had been right after all. 

Marinette gave a soft laugh and responded with, “Marinette. It’s nice to officially meet you, Adrien.” She took a chance and shot him a wink, which made him blush and laugh at the same time. Marinette counted that as a win. 

Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand and brought it up to his lips, “The honor is all mine, Princess.” She blushed at the nickname and the fact that he gave a light kiss on her hand. He gently put her hand down, but didn’t remove it from his grasp. “So, Ms. Master-of-Puns, where are you from?” 

Marinette began to laugh again and was overtaken by just how amazing Adrien is. She was slightly worried how he would act when she met him, not only because of the show, but also because of the fact that he is a very wealthy famous model who has been raised a certain way. She always heard Chat complain on his father and how strict he is about his behavior, but tonight she wasn’t seeing any of that. Most of this behavior, specifically the hand kissing and the nickname calling, was very Chat Noir of him and it made Marinette’s heart go crazy. 

“I’m actually from Paris.” She responded with a smile. “And I’m not a master of puns. I actually don’t even like puns.” At that, Adrien looked offended. He had placed his hand over his heart in a very Chat-like dramatic gesture. She couldn’t help but giggle and shrug. “Sorry, I just prefer different types of humor.” 

“But puns are the most _pun_ derful form of comedy!” Adrien responded with a wink. Marinette gave him an eyeroll and a groan. At that he laughed. “What part of Paris are you from?” 

“I live in Palais-Bourbon. My parents own the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.” At the mention of the bakery, Adrien’s eyes lit up. 

“Oh my gosh! I drive past that bakery all the time! I’ve never been inside because father never lets me eat sweets, but it always looks so busy. Your parents must be amazing bakers. _You_ must be an amazing baker.” 

Marinette smiled, thinking of her parents. “They really are. And I’m not as good as my Papa, but everything I make is edible, so there’s that.” 

“I bet you’re better than you give yourself credit for.” Adrien gave her a warm smile and she became suddenly aware of how close he was sitting to her and how close his face was from hers. It wouldn’t take much for her to lean forward and kiss him (something she’s been dreaming of for _years_ ). He looked like he might close the gap himself when the clicking of heels was heard and someone cleared their throat. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but Adrien, can I steal you for a second?” Marinette sighed and turned to give Lila the best smile she could muster at the moment and excused herself. But not before leaning in and giving Adrien a peck on the cheek. As she walked away, she took a chance and glanced back at him. She was very satisfied to see that he was watching her walk away while Lila was adjusting her train and making herself comfortable on the couch in Marinette’s place. 

She sighed and walked back into the group area only to be met with a number of unfriendly looks. Slightly bothered by the stares, she took a quick glance, noticed Hanna wasn’t there and walked back towards the kitchen. Hanna was there, deep in conversation with another girl. Marinette walked up to them and gave her friend a warm smile. 

Hanna turned to face Marinette with excitement in her eyes. “Hi, Marinette, how was it?” 

“It was really nice. Adrien is super sweet and our conversation was really easy.” Marinette glanced around the room to see if anyone else was in there. She then gave the other girl a little bit of a look, trying to decide if she was trustworthy. Hanna, picking up on her hesitation, jumped in. 

“Oh, how silly of me! I let my excitement get the better of my manners! Marinette, this is Juliette. Juliette this is—” 

“Marinette, yeah.” Juliette cut in, the tone of her voice unfamiliar. Her voice wasn’t as friendly as Hanna’s was, but it also wasn’t full of contempt; it was somewhere in between. “You’re the girl who ruined Anna’s entrance and stole Adrien before he was done with his toast.” Oh. So that’s what all of the dirty looks were for. Someone had figured out that Marinette had arrived right before Anna and therefore she was the one who had caused that whole scene. Suddenly, Marinette was especially glad that Hanna was such an open and friendly person. Otherwise, no one would be on her side. Besides Tikki, but she didn’t count. 

“Umm, yeah I guess. I didn’t do that to Anna on purpose though. I... uh... accidentally forgot to tell Adrien my name and apparently that left him a little stunned.” She buried her face in her hands to hide her blush. 

“Oh, Marinette, that’s not your fault!” Hanna said encouragingly. She had automatically began rubbing Marinette’s back when she had ducked her head and the motion was very comforting. 

Juliette, however, was not convinced. “Why did you grab him so quickly, then, if you were so embarrassed?” 

“I didn’t want him to keep going through the night and not even know what my name is. I figured if I grabbed him first, I could tell him and then it wouldn’t be like I forgot it in the first place.” Marinette felt very small in that moment and it had nothing to do with her height. How in the world was she going to survive this if all of the girls hated her for her clumsiness and forgetfulness? 

Hanna continued to reassure Marinette that everything was fine, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Juliette. Slowly, Juliette’s face softened and she gave Marinette a minuscule smile. “What did you want to tell us?” 

Marinette relaxed and checked the room again for unwanted listeners. The only people around were their camera crew, and they didn’t seem like they were going anywhere. “Well, we started talking and he began to get really close to me and before we knew it our faces were so close he could have kissed me.” The other girls gasped with excitement. 

Hanna was the one to react first. “Oh my gosh did you kiss him?!” She yelled. Marinette quickly shushed her and glanced toward the doorway. After a few seconds, when no one had come barging through the doorframe, she looked back at their little group.

“Not so loudly!” She chastised. “No, he didn’t kiss me. _Lila_ came and interrupted right as he was going to.” 

“No!” Both girls gasped. Marinette nodded to confirm. 

“That girl is trouble.” Juliette said with a frown. The fact that Juliette was not taken by Lila’s fakeness was refreshing and made Marinette want to befriend and trust Juliette more. Honestly, it was probably going to take an army of them to take Lila down during the show, and it was never too early to start recruiting troops. 

“Let’s just see how tonight goes before we start making conclusions about people,” Marinette responded with a pointed look in Juliette’s direction. She had the decency to blush and break eye contact with her before Hanna steered the conversation back to whatever they were talking about when Marinette walked up. 

Marinette excused herself to the bathroom, knowing that it was the only place the cameras couldn’t follow. Once inside one of the 9 bathrooms of the mansion, she let Tikki out of her bra and reminded her to whisper as they could record sound through the doors. 

“What do you think I should do, Tikki? It’s been a whirlwind of a night and we aren’t even done yet. And I don’t trust Lila to not start something once she’s done with Adrien.” 

Tikki nodded in agreement. “Yes, there’s something about her I just don’t like.” Tikki paused to think before letting out a little gasp. “Marinette! I have an idea! I could float around the mansion and scope out things for you. You can hang around the other girls and try to make friends and mingle, while I scope out the mansion, specifically watch Lila and what she does tonight.” 

“Tikki that’s brilliant! Thank you!” She gave her kwami a hug and Tikki gave her a wink before phasing through the wall out into the fray. Marinette flushed the toilet for the sake of appearances and checked her hair and make-up in the mirror before walking back out towards the kitchen. She got herself a fresh drink and situated herself in the main couch area where most of the girls were still sitting. The room quieted a little when she came in, but she noticed a slightly familiar face and went to talk with her. 

“Sasha, right?” She said as she sat next to the dark-skinned girl. She was wearing a beautiful forest green dress and her hair was in a contained afro. She was breathtaking and drew the attention of the room easily. “You’re a model.” 

Sasha gave her a bright smile and nodded. “Yes, I remember you. You were in my group during the audition photoshoots. I’m glad you got cast.” 

“Same for you. How has your evening been?” The small talk continued between the two girls and Sasha began opening up to her and introducing her to the other girls around. They seemed to be more relaxed around Marinette now and the dirty looks soon became a rarity. Marinette watched girl after girl be instructed by the producers to go butt in to another girl’s time with Adrien. Most of them waited respectful amount of time, while others only got a couple of minutes because of pushier girls. 

Sasha had gotten up to get her and Marinette another drink when Marinette noticed Tikki hiding behind one of the beams in the ceiling. She quickly glanced around and sped towards Marinette, hoping nobody noticed a red blob flying. 

“What do you have?” Marinette barely whispered. 

“Lila. She’s on the move again. She looks as though she is going to try to get more time with Adrien again.” 

“That’s not fair! Some girls haven’t even had their time yet.” 

“I know! That’s why I’m telling you! You need to get girls moving. I’m going to be watching Lila, but we’re going to need someone to interrupt Lila and quickly.” 

Marinette gave a slight nod and noticed that Sasha was on her way back towards her. She stood up and met her halfway, taking the drink that was offered to her (peer pressure with drinking was a real issue here in the mansion and it was only night one). “So, a little birdie told me that Lila is going in for another round with Adrien.” 

Sasha looked appalled, as did the other girls around who heard Marinette’s statement. One girl, Camille, ran towards the window and gasped. Sure enough, Lila was seen strutting in her stupid wedding dress towards Adrien for a second time. Sasha and some of the others were fuming. 

“She’s already had her time with him and some of us haven’t had any.” Sasha huffed. “This is very unfair.” She began pacing around the room a little, never straying too far from the window. After about a minute of strained silence, Sasha stopped pacing suddenly, squared her shoulders and announced to the group, “I’m going in.” There were whoops and hollers. One girl yelled, “Go catch a bitch,” as she walked out the room. They all gathered around the window to watch the show.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was exhausted. It was nearing midnight and he hadn’t even had real conversations with half of the girls here. They kept making him do odd things and he had consumed more alcohol than his father had ever let him see before. He was running out of words to say and it was frustrating that the cameras caught _every_ conversation as he couldn’t even go on autopilot for the girls he knew weren’t Ladybug.

At that moment, he was in the middle of a conversation with a girl who he was pretty sure was named Lauren, but he wasn’t sure. It was another girl who was trying to impress him with her superhero knowledge and Adrien was just about to signal for another girl to be told to cut in (he had made a signal with his Mini-Natalie so that way he could get through the night quicker) when he caught something white out of the corner of his eye. 

Lauren stopped talking and turned towards the disruption and her jaw dropped. Adrien then shifted and saw Lila walking towards him. 

“So sorry to interrupt,” Lila purred to the couple as she got closer, “but Adrien, can I steal you for a second?” She gave him a suggestive smile and he felt his cheeks color. Something felt wrong here but he couldn’t figure it out. 

“Um, sure.” He responded, trying not to sound too put-off. He turned towards Lauren (honestly, he didn’t think that was her name) and said, “I’ll see you later?” before following Lila to a different part of the mansion. 

It wasn’t until she sat down on a chair that he remembered why this felt wrong. _I’ve already talked with her tonight!_ He had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at her but instead put on his best model smile and dove into a conversation that he was sure to be a boring one.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was over this whole thing. It was nearing 1am and besides Lila cutting in on THREE separate occasions, nothing super interesting had happened. The girl who had gotten her time cut by Lila the first time, Laura, had approached Lila and they had an argument. It was uneventful and (sadly) made Lila look like the innocent one with the way that Laura was going at her.

Marinette stifled a yawn and forced herself to stand up from the couch she was on. If she sat down for much longer, she would fall asleep for sure. Right as she stood up though, the host, an American named Chris Harrison, came into the room where she was at with a rose. 

All of the girls in the room, there were about 10, stopped talking and he gave them a smile. “Excuse me ladies. I’m just going to leave this right here.” He walked out without another word. 

Chatter broke out across the group and the room was filled with a renewed energy. “Oh my gosh look how pretty it is!” “I would _love_ to get the first rose!” “Who do you think is going to walk away with it?” 

Marinette just stared at the rose. The first impression rose. This was the one that goes to the girl that made the best first impression on Adrien. Even though some part of her wanted to get that rose so badly, another part didn’t want to have to deal with the repercussions. If accidently ruining another girl’s limo entrance brought all of these bad looks upon her, what would getting the first impression rose do? She was just trying to survive now, not stand out just yet. 

Word got around quickly that the rose had appeared and everyone came flocking into the room to admire it. Marinette quickly excused herself and stayed away from the room for as long as possible. She was grateful when a producer asked if this would be a good time to interview her about the night. She quickly agreed and followed them to a small room they had set-up. 

They asked her question upon question about the night. Having her pretend that it was right after her limo entrance, as all of the girls were showing up, right before the first toast with Adrien, right after her chat with Adrien, right after Lila stole Adrien for the second and third time. She pretty much just recounted all of her feelings throughout the whole night for the camera and sighed and smiled and got angry (or as best as she could do in her tired state) and she made a lot of odd sounding phrases that the producers were eating up. She had accidently said that Lila, “was making a huge mistake” and that, “the other girls shouldn’t hold my height against me because big firecrackers come in small packages” in her sleep-deprived state and they loved all of them. 

Before she knew it, she was being rushed into the room with the rose and was asked to sit around patiently for Adrien. After about 5 minutes he came walking in with a smile. 

“Hi ladies,” Every girl swooned. “Tonight has been amazing and I have had so much fun getting to talk to all of you more. But, there is one girl who has stood out tonight and I would like to honor her by giving her the first rose of the season.” He paused dramatically and Marinette could actually here every single girl holding their breath. Adrien’s eyes scanned the room before they landed on hers. She felt her face blush and saw the people nearest her shooting her dirty looks. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” 

Marinette stood from the group and walked towards him. She was smiling and giddy and nervous and just plain ecstatic that he had picked her first. Once she reached him, she put her hand on the rose and smiled, getting lost in those beautiful green eyes. “Of course.” She gave him a quick hug and then headed back towards the group. The stares were intense, but she was determined not to let that bother her. Plus, it was very entertaining to see the look on Lila’s face. She looked both offended, hurt, and mad all at once. 

Once Marinette was seated, Adrien continued talking to the group. “Thank you, ladies, for an amazing first night and I have some really hard decisions to make. So, I guess I’ll see you at the rose ceremony.” He gave the group a mini-bow and then was whisked off to who-knows-where. Victoria then walked out and told everyone that they had an hour to eat, freshen up and get ready for the ceremony. They would meet back in this room at a quarter til’ 3 and then they would line them up in the order that they needed to come into the rose ceremony. 

She gave everyone a pointed look before she said, “This is the only time tonight that there won’t be cameras on you. Be mindful of what you do and do not confront or stir up trouble with another girl before we meet back here. Save that for the cameras.” She began to walk away but turned back suddenly and added, “Also, no more drinks will be served. Some of you girls need to sober up before the rose ceremony.” At that she left the girls alone.

\----------------------------------------------------

The hardest part of the night was over, or at least what they kept telling him. Choosing Marinette to have the first impression rose was easy, so he assumed that deciding who else would get roses would be just as easy as well.

That was where Adrien had been wrong. 

He had 20 minutes before he had to be out there presenting roses and he had only chosen 5 girls to keep. He just kept staring at the faces of the girls he just met and just kept thinking that one of them was Ladybug but he just didn’t know which one. The producers were trying to allow him to make this decision on his own, but he could tell they were itching to jump in and help him. Mini-Natalie stood in the corner giving frequent time reminders and also having stylist come in every once in a while to fix his hair or make-up or straiten his outfit. His suit coat was currently being steamed and would be returned before he made an appearance on camera again. 

Plagg, of course, only had one opinion. He had already put Hanna in the keep pile solely to keep Plagg from throwing a fit. Adrien owed him a very large piece of camembert after tonight because he honestly had been really well-behaved. However much he wished he had _some_ sort of opinion. 

“None of these girls stood out to you?” Adrien asked Plagg in a hurried whisper. He had about 2 minutes before the producers came back to bug him and he needed something. “Just point me in the right direction of Ladybug, please,” he begged. 

Plagg swept his eyes over the pictures and then looked at Adrien. “Sorry kid. I don’t see a Ladybug in there.” At this, Adrien gave a frustrated sigh and then turned back towards the producers.

“Okay, I give up. Help, please.” They were creepily prepared. One thrust a list at Adrien that was titled, “Allowed to Move on to Week 1” and it looked suspiciously like something his father had Natalie type up. When he inquired about where this paper came from, none of the people helping him would look him in the eye. 

Finally, one caved. “Adrien, your father has put up a lot of money and has a lot riding on this particular show...” he began and Adrien turned away from the table trying to hold back a growl. He crumpled up the paper in the process and threw it on the ground. The producer continued to talk, but was gentler and more hesitant than before. “He pre-approved some girls as people he would approve of and even picked your top four for you. Of course, you’re allowed to make your own decisions, but if your father doesn’t have at least one of his favorites in the top, he’s going to pull the plug on the show.” 

Adrien glanced behind him and saw the nervous looks on all of the people in the room. Even Mini-Natalie looked worried. He should have expected this, honestly. He controls everything else in Adrien’s life, why not his first chance as a dating life as well. He gave a resigned sigh before picking up the crumpled paper from the place where he threw it. He flattened it out and actually took a good look at it. Most of the girls on here weren’t horrible, except for Lila, but he had had a feeling the producers would have wanted her to stay solely for the drama she created. 

He randomly picked all but 8 girls on the list, leaving only the ones that utterly bored him and the one named Chloe, as he couldn’t give her a fair shot. Chloe Bourgeois ruined that name for him. 

As soon as the last name was sorted, he was whisked away. He caught glimpses of things as he was moved from room to room: someone setting up the roses, the girls being lined up in an order, camera people repositioning themselves in the rose ceremony room. Adrien was handed a list of the girls he chose to give roses to tonight, stashed in a room no bigger than a closet with his hair and make-up crew and was told not to move. They had 5 minutes before the ceremony was to start and he had to be perfect. 

His main goal was to memorize the names. The problem was there were so many of them and it was all so much for the night. Panicking, he grabbed a pen and began writing all of the names down on his hand in the order he was to say them. Thankfully, his handwriting was small enough to fit two lines on his palm. Right as he was finishing up, Mini-Natalie came in to take him away. She raised her eyebrows at the new addition to his hands but didn’t comment. 

A lady was talking to all of the girls, telling them that they are to start at the far end of the risers and line up in order. The cameras would film them coming in and then Adrien would enter and begin the ceremony. He was expected to make a small speech and then begin passing out roses. 

The girls are sent in and the tension between them all is palpable. Adrien is so nervous he’s sweating and he keeps blowing on his palm so the names don’t run. After all of the girls are settled, Mini-Natalie gives him the cue to walk inside. 

Man, these girls did an amazing job of looking pretty. Between the light and the time allowed to reapply make-up and freshen up before the ceremony, he had forgotten how gorgeous they all were. Marinette is positioned right in front of him on the edge. She is beaming with her rose in hand and Adrien has a hard time keeping his eyes off of her. All of the girls are smiling expectantly at him and he remembers he has to make a speech. 

He clears his throat and begins. “Well, ladies, I just want to say how thankful I am for each and every one of you for stepping out and taking a chance on this, on us.” Mini-Natalie had made him memorize this speech a week ago and he was at ease reciting it. “I know this is going to be difficult but I hold out hope that each rose ceremony gets me closer to mila— uh, the future Mrs. Agreste.” Whoops. He was going to hear about that mess-up later. None of the girls seemed to notice though, and he wondered how much they were actually paying attention. They probably just wanted to know if he had picked them or not. 

“I’ve truly enjoyed the conversation with you all tonight and I honestly think my soulmate is in my room.” Most of the girls awed at that statement, and he just hoped that Ladybug’s real name was written on his hand in smudged ink. “If you don’t receive a rose tonight, I really hope that you can find your one true love one day too.” With that, he glanced down at his hand, picked up a rose and began calling out the names, one by one.

\----------------------------------------------------

This whole thing would have been a lot more nerve racking if she didn’t already have a rose in her hand. So instead, Marinette used this time to size up her competition. Since she was the first impression rose, she was placed right on the edge of the group. She had the best view of Adrien, every shot of a girl accepting a rose would have her in the background and she had to turn her head to look at the other girls so she could look at everyone without the producers getting mad at her; it just looked like she was being polite.

They had strategically placed other girls as well. Lila was standing right next to Laura and other girls who had participated in conflict were near the opposing parties as well, meaning that Anna was very close to Marinette. She had to think that they did that on purpose, just to make the tension seem even higher than it already was. 

Adrien reached for the first rose and called out, “Lucie.” A girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and a sparkly red dress on stepped forward. Once she reached Adrien he smiled and asked, “Lucie, will you accept this rose?” She nodded and gave him a hug then walked back to her spot. 

This cycle continued until Adrien was running low on roses. She was relieved to hear that Hanna had made it to the next week, as well as her friend Juliette. Sadly, Lila had also progressed forward, but so had Sasha. the roses dwindled until there was only one left. With that, Chris Harrison stepped out of the shadows and announced, “Ladies, Adrien, it’s the final rose tonight. When you’re ready.” He then stepped back into the shadows, leaving Adrien nervously glancing at his hand (he must have written the names down there) before picking up the rose. 

He looked around dramatically at the remaining girls for an awkwardly long time before saying, “Kagami.” A girl Marinette hadn’t noticed before stepped up towards Adrien. She was wearing a red fencing outfit and truthfully looked so out of place, Marinette is surprised she didn’t catch her eye before. Kagami stood there stoically while Adrien asked, “Kagami, will you accept this rose?” She gave a curt nod, took the rose, and bowed to Adrien instead of hugging him. She then walked back towards the group of girls. 

Marinette could feel the girls who didn’t get pick begin to cry and watched as Chris stepped out again. “Ladies, I’m sorry. If you did not receive a rose, take a moment to say your goodbye.” Sniffling broke out as the girls said goodbye to each other. Marinette reached out to comfort the girl next to her, Elsa, but her hand was hit away. She tried not to take it personally, but it still stung. Marinette also noticed the smug look Lila was wearing. Laura next to her was crying and after another sweep of the girls going home, Marinette noticed Anna was leaving as well. Marinette felt slightly bad about that, but at the same time, she had her chance to wow Adrien and she hadn’t taken it. 

Victoria stepped forward and called out each girl who got eliminated one by one so they could come up and say their goodbyes to Adrien. He was very polite to them all but it was obvious (at least to Marinette because she knew his body language so well) that he was relieved to have them gone. If she had to guess why, she would probably cite the fact that he was one step closer to discovering her, or rather Ladybug. 

Once all of the cut girls had left, they were passed out a chute of champagne and instructed to huddle up with their roses. Adrien stepped into the circle and gave yet another toast. “Cheers to the most amazing first night I could have asked for. I’m so lucky to be here with all of you. I can’t wait to see this journey _strut_.” Marinette held back a groan as all of the other girls let out a giggle at his model pun. He had the decency to blush at his comment before saying, “To the journey!” to which all of the girls raised their glasses with a group, “Cheers!” 

When someone finally called cut, Marinette sighed and relaxed for the first time that night. It was 3:30 in the morning and to say she was exhausted is an understatement. She carefully put down her glass and was just about to go to her room before she remembered that she didn’t know where her room was. 

When she looked around, she noticed that Adrien was being whisked away by a lady with a clipboard and Victoria was stepping forward to hopefully give the girls instructions. 

“Congrats ladies on making it past the first night. You should know that we will not be filming you tomorrow, to allow you the day to rest and settle into the mansion. The first date card and date will be presented Tuesday so know you are on your own until then. Cameras will not be around on Sundays due to editing, processing and resting for all. Please save any drama or fights or problems until Monday as those are better worked out on camera.” Marinette strongly disagreed but didn’t speak up. 

“With that being said, here are your rooming assignments.” She said holding up a stack of papers. “Your luggage has already been brought to your rooms and the bathroom assignments are posted on each bathroom door. Please only use your designated bathroom unless otherwise given permission from one of the crew members. Jade and Sarah are going to be in charge of the mansion while you are here. If there are any problems, you need something, or have a question about the house, ask these two.” Two middle-aged ladies wearing matching shirts that said, “Mansion-Mom” waved and took the stack of papers from Victoria’s hand. 

Victoria glanced over her clipboard, “One last thing. I’ve been instructed to remind you that you are not allowed to leave the mansion without accompanying Adrien on a date. You are, however, allowed on the mansion grounds. Please do not leave the gate and do not do anything that could put you in harms way. Good night girls, and we will see you Monday morning.” 

With that, she left as did most of the crew. Some stayed to finish cleaning up the cameras, while Jade and Sarah began passing out the assignments. Marinette was assigned to a room with a girl named Mathilde and they quickly found each other and made small talk as they walked to their room. They were on the third floor and had access to one of the many balconies. The room was at the end of the hallway, which was perfect as it would make escaping as Ladybug all the easier. 

She quickly wiped off her make-up with a wipe, changed into her pajamas, and waited in line to wash her face. There were 3 other girls who shared her bathroom, so the wait wasn’t too long. Soon enough, she was curled up on the right side of their queen-sized bed as Mathilde was showering. Before she knew it, she was asleep, dreaming of winning Adrien’s heart and her conversation with Chat Noir later that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally googled the different districts in Paris and randomly chose one to be the home-place of all of Marinette's life, so please note that it is something that I came up with and not cannon lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy quarintine-ing everyone! Thanks to no school for a month, (which means no job for a month) I have had more time to write! We may get multiple chapters out this month thanks to the virus! The one good thing coming from the coronavirus. *sigh*

By the time Marinette became conscious again, it was almost noon. Tikki was the one who pulled her from her slumbers and she was very annoyed about it. 

“Tiiiiiiiikiiiiiiiiii,” Marinette groaned. She peeked one eye out and then quickly sat up in bed, once she remembered where she was. She glanced around and noticed that (thankfully!) she was the only one in the room, so no one heard her say her kwami’s name. Marinette’s voice quickly shifted to a whisper, “Tikki! What are you doing? Someone could see you!”

“I’m so sorry, Marinette, but I’m really hungry. And since you’re meeting up with Chat tonight I need to start saving up my energy.” Tikki explained in a whisper. “I did wait until your roommate left though.” 

“Oh, okay. Well that was good thinking.” Marinette said with a yawn. She normally stayed up late finishing varying designs but last night was a whole different kind of exhaustion. She doesn’t normally have to socialize so late into the night and the stress and tension level in the mansion tired her out as well. “Let me get dressed and I’ll find you something sweet to eat, okay?” Tikki gave her a nod and flew away into Marinette’s suitcase. 

Marinette threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, something she would normally wear on a Sunday at home. She slipped on some flats as well, just because she wasn’t familiar with the mansion and it would make her feel more comfortable. After brushing her teeth and putting her hair in her signature pigtails, she ran downstairs in search of food. 

It was only their first day in the mansion and she already could feel the dislike and animosity between the other girls. It was hanging in the air like a fog and it caused Marinette’s pace to slow as she neared the bottom of the stairs. No one seemed to be fighting. There was no yelling, no cameras and not a boy in sight. In fact, there wasn’t any sound coming from anywhere in the mansion. Marinette almost thought that everyone must still be asleep. 

She didn’t encounter another human being until the kitchen. There were 3 girls sitting around the island. They weren’t talking or looking at each other and only one of them was eating. 

“Good morning,” Marinette said hesitantly as she walked in the room. Her house was never this quiet or hostile. Her parents were up at 4:30 prepping things for the bakery and whenever she woke up there was always some sort of noise, either coming from the bakery, or from her mom making breakfast for her in the kitchen. She was always greeted with a “Good morning,” and either a hug or a kiss on her head. 

All of the girls looked up at her, but none of them said a thing. Marinette forced a smile and said, “I’m Marinette.” 

That caused one of the girls to give a cruel laugh and she responded with a, “We know.” Marinette paused a minute before remembering that _of course_ they knew who she was, she got the first impression rose last night. All of the girls in the house know who she is. Unsure of how to continue, she decided small talk was better than no talk. 

“How did you sleep?” She said, forcing a cheery voice as she headed to the fridge and began looking for something to make for lunch. She almost forgot what she was doing when she saw the fridge stocked with a large amount of food. There was virtually nothing sweet in there though, so the search for Tikki’s lunch was going to have to be conducted elsewhere. She located some ham, bread, an egg, and a block of cheese and set to work. 

The girls chorused a “fine” and then didn’t speak again. Marinette pulled out a frying pan and some oil and began heating it on the stovetop. She then put the ham and cheese on top of the bread. The girls just stared at Marinette and didn’t say a word. She hardened her resolve to remain polite before she turned around with a smile and asked, “What are your names again? There was so much happening last night, I was having trouble keeping everyone straight.” 

This comment seemed to be too much for one of the girls as she got up and stormed away. Another got up and followed her leaving only two. The last one, a girl with medium-length blonde hair and a kind face, sighed and smiled apologetically at Marinette. “I’m sorry it’s been a bit of transition for Gabrielle.” She pointed in the direction of where the first two girls went. “She shares a room with Lila and she hasn’t stopped making snide comments about Gabrielle.” This girl shifted uncomfortable in her seat before spitting out, “Of course, that doesn’t bother me, so can you just not tell Lila I said that?” 

Marinette was very confused and almost forgot to put her egg in the pan when it was warm enough. As she cracked it with the grace of someone who has been cooking/baking since she was a child, she tried to process what the girl had said. Why would she feel as though she needed to tell Lila anything? Deciding it was better just to ask, she then turned back towards the girl, “I’m sorry, what are you talking about? Why would I tell Lila anything?” 

The girl wouldn’t meet Marinette’s eyes when she said, “Well you are her best friend, we just don’t want to start any trouble. Especially with Lila.” Marinette almost dropped her spatula. Marinette, best friends with _Lila_ of all people?! She’s disliked this girl since their interview weekend a couple months back. How could they get that idea? Soon, Marinette realized that Lila must have said something. Marinette was racking her brain, thinking of what she could have done last night to make Lila think they were friends. She came up blank. 

“Did Lila tell you this?” Marinette inquired, trying not to sound too incredulous. 

“Umm, yeah. She told the whole house this morning when everyone had woken up. She kept going on and on about how you two had entered the show together and hoped you’d both make it and that you both planned to be top two and have Adrien fight over the two of you.” The more this girl talked, the more Marinette got angry. Why would she say all of these things? Why would Lila lie about knowing her? Marinette took the egg, which had fried while she was thinking and slipped it on top of the bread, ham and cheese combination she had made. She plated it and walked around to the other side of the island and sat next to the girl. 

“Okay, well let you be the first to know that I am not Lila’s friend. I’ve never met Lila before the interview a couple months back. Honestly, her attitude bothers me. I don’t appreciate people who manipulate others and that’s all I’ve seen Lila do since I met her. I really don’t like people who lie either, specifically about me.” She took a rather aggressive bite of her sloppily thrown together croque madame. The girl’s mouth had dropped and she stared at Marinette with wide eyes. 

“She lied?” The girl asked. She sounded personally offended and all Marinette could do was nod. “Oh my. I bet she did it because you’re the front-runner.” Marinette had to remind herself to swallow before she choked. 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“In the American version, the first impression rose is always one of the final four. In a lot of cases, that girl wins the whole thing. You’re the new front-runner. Everyone wants to be your friend so they can see what Adrien likes about you and imitate it.” 

“So, you’re saying Lila won’t be the only one trying to get close to me?” 

“Well...” the girl draws out the vowel and bows her head to look at her feet. 

“Well, what?” 

“No one wants to be your friend now. Lila told everyone that if they tried to, she was going to destroy them and get them kicked off the show. If I leave, I want Adrien to be the one that makes the decision.” She gave a little shrug and smiled guiltily at Marinette. 

“Lila is a liar, she has no control over who I’m friends with and she shouldn’t be allowed to intimidate the others.” Marinette gave an affirmative nod and continued to eat her breakfast/lunch. 

“That’s such a relief to hear.” She paused and gave Marinette a beaming smile. “I’m Lucie, by the way.” Lucie extends a hand to Marinette who takes it and gives it a shake. “And to answer your original question, the girl who ran off is named Gabrielle and the girl who followed after her is Zoe. They come from the same town and are good friends.” She looked at her watch and sighed. “It was nice meeting you Marinette, and I’m glad I was able to set the record straight. Good luck today, but it’s my turn for my run around the mansion.” She stood up from the island, gave Marinette a little wave, and disappeared out of a door. 

Marinette was so in shock from the conversation that she almost forgot to find Tikki something to eat. Thankfully, once she located the pantry, there was a large number of cookies hidden in there. Marinette grabbed a baggie and loaded up on some so Tikki could eat her fill and have something to recharge with tonight. 

Once lunch was eaten and the cookies were delivered, Marinette wandered around the house. Her official excuse was that she wanted to get a better feel for it in case she needed to make a Ladybug escape, but in reality, she just wanted to find the other girls and avoid them. She wasn’t feeling up to anymore conversations like the one with Lucie, even if that one did turn out okay. Plus, she had never been in a house this large and it was interesting to see how it was laid out and decorated for the show. It was hard to move through the hallways with all of the luggage strewn around, so Marinette tried her best not to touch anything, in case someone wanted to use it against her. 

Finally, she settled onto a bench with a window that overlooked the pool, where it seems most of the girls were showing off their new Gabriel swimsuits and working on their tans. It was unseasonably warm for late August, so Marinette couldn’t blame them for soaking in what was left of the summer. Each of the girls was showing off certain parts of their personalities and trying to intimidate the other girls. Lila seemed to be the only one succeeding, as she had been given a wide birth around her by most of the girls. Marinette also saw Hanna for the first time since the rose ceremony. She looked like one of the few who were actually enjoying themselves in the pool rather than baking in the sun. 

Hanna’s innocence and general joy inspired Marinette and she opened up her sketchbook and started sketching out a dress. It was a shorter dress, more for daytime wear, and was designed to be light. Marinette wanted it to flow and be free, just like Hanna was. She was almost finished with the dress when someone cleared their throat behind her. Marinette jumped and had almost forgotten that she was in a house with 21 other girls. For a minute there, she felt like she was back in her room, in her own little designing bubble. 

“I really hope that has been approved,” a voice said. Marinette looked up and recognized the girl from last night that wore the fencing outfit. Today she was wearing normal clothes, but her hair looked the exact same: cut into a short bob and left to sit there around her head. She sounded very serious and sharp, like she didn’t know how to carry on a conversation. “I’d hate to be the one to turn you in.” 

Marinette highly doubted that. “You’re Kagami, right?” The girl gave a nod, which allowed her black hair to have some sort of movement. Marinette wondered if she ever did fun things with her hair, but she hardly seemed like the fun type. She felt pretty sure that if it would be socially acceptable, she would do away with her hair just for the practicality of it all. “I’m Marinette.” 

“I know.” 

That seemed to be the common answer. Marinette sighed and decided to skip the pleasantries. “The notebook has been approved. I’m not one to break the rules.” Unless Paris is in danger, but that’s a different problem entirely. 

“Good to hear.” Kagami paused as she seemed to collect words for her next statement. “Why aren’t you outside enjoying the... weather?” Her voice tapered off at the end of the question and it forced Marinette to study her further. Why was this girl so odd? 

“I wasn’t feeling the pool today. I’d much rather stay inside,” Marinette mumbled, looking back down at her sketchbook and doodling a cat paw in the corner, not wanting to reveal the real reason nor make eye contact with the weird girl. 

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with your supposed ‘best friend’ Lila.” Welp. There goes that plan. Marinette looked up and saw that Kagami’s eyes were not harsh, but questioning. 

“You don’t believe her?” Marinette asked, not daring to believe that someone else can see through Lila’s games. 

“No.” Kagami said shortly. “She didn’t seem to be your friend yesterday and you weren’t even there to say anything. It seemed like some scheme she created.” 

“Oh,” Marinette replied, releasing the tension in her shoulders that she didn’t realize she was holding. “Well thanks for not believing her lies.” 

“Don’t thank me, I haven’t done anything.” Kagami replied curtly. She wasn’t warming up to Marinette at all; she felt just as distant and cold as she had the beginning of the conversation. Her words and tone made Marinette uneasy and she began to study her again. She just couldn’t get a feel for this girl. Seeming to not notice Marinette’s gaze, she continued. “I may not believe Lila, but there’s something off about you. You’re too calm for this competition. You’re hiding something and I’m determined to find out what it is.” At that, Kagami gave a curt nod and walked away. 

Marinette blanched. Day two and she was already getting singled out by some girl claiming to be her best friend and threatening the others, and another girl claiming to be looking to out her secret. She was going to have to be more careful around the mansion than she thought. She couldn’t afford for the word to get around that Ladybug was participating in _The Bachelor_. Marinette, who was suddenly sick of sitting out in public and fearful of the other girls and their prying eyes, packed up her supplies and retreated to her room to hide. Maybe Tikki could cheer her up.

\----------------------------------------------------

Tikki wasn’t the one who did the cheering up, but once 8 o’clock hit, being out in the open as Ladybug did wonders to lift her spirits. She arrived at the meeting spot a couple of minutes early and became suddenly very nervous about seeing Adrien/Chat. Sneaking out was easy, but knowing what to say to Adrien was very nerve-racking.

Once all of the girls had eaten dinner, they all went to some secluded spot and didn’t talk to each other. This was the perfect cover for Marinette, who traveled to her room where her roommate wasn’t. She transformed then jumped off the balcony, leaving it unlocked to make it easier to get back inside, hopefully without Mathilde noticing (or deciding to lock the unlocked window). 

She sensed him before she could see him and she had trouble keeping the smile off of her face. She was giddy, even though she technically had seen him less than 24 hours before. But after a day of being ignored by everyone and in turn ignoring them, she was excited for this interaction. 

She heard his boots hit the rooftop and she turned to look at him. He gave her the sweetest smile and a “Hey.” 

“Hey, yourself.” 

“What a lovely evening it is,” he started. She couldn’t help but giggle at how awkward he sounded. She began to walk towards the edge of the rooftop to sit, knowing he’d follow. 

“It sure is. Especially after being cooped up in the mansion all day.” He gave a slight gasp, that forced her to turn and look at him in mid-step. When she saw nothing wrong with him, she began searching around them, thinking there was an akuma. “What? Do you see something?” 

“Um, no,” his voice was about an octave higher than it normally was. That made her giggle as she sat down on the edge of the roof. He cleared his throat before continuing. “So.... does that mean that you’re still in the competition?” 

She watched him sit and couldn’t help but give him a smile. “Oh, you silly Kitty. Were you worried that you had let me go?” All he could do was nod. “Well, don’t worry. I’ve made it through the first round. If you cut me, you’d know that I was Ladybug right away, I promise.” 

“Does that mean that I could just cut all of the girls, you’ll reveal yourself and we could live happily ever after?” The tone of his voice was clearly joking, but Ladybug’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. It would be a lot easier, if she could just reveal herself, they quit the show, get married, and live happily ever after. Sadly, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. 

“You know your Father would never let you do that!” She may not have ever met Gabriel Agreste, but from all of the stories that Chat had told her throughout the years, it was obvious that he was a man who got his way, and if he didn’t then he found a way for it to happen. He sounded terrifying, and if Adrien was going to deviate from the show’s script at all, she knew he would pay for it dearly.

“Yeah, I know. But it’s still fun to think about,” he said softly. Ladybug’s heart sighed and she gave him a slight hug and leaned her head of his shoulder. 

“Tell me about your day and I’ll tell you about mine.” 

“Let’s see, I was woken up at the first sign of sunlight by my ever-annoying Kwami because he demanded cheese. Then a little bit later Mini-Natalie,” Ladybug took her head off of his shoulder to give him an incredulous look. “Oh sorry! That’s the girl in charge of me during the show. She moves me around and makes me keep to my schedule. She reminds me a lot of Father’s assistant, Natalie, and since I don’t know her name I call her Mini-Natalie.” 

Ladybug gave a quick snort at his crazy line of thinking before leaning her head back down and saying, “Sounds legit. Continue.” 

She could feel him chuckling beneath her, but he did continue. “Anyway, she took me to some dark room where they made me decide who was getting all of the dates this week. I also had to pick what I was going to do on each of these dates from the approved list for the first 2 weeks.” He gave a sad sigh that caused Ladybug to pull away to look at him again. 

“How does that bother you? Would you rather plan all of the dates yourself? Cause honestly, it sounds exhausting.” 

“It’s not that.” He paused and looked around the rooftop before saying, “It’s my Father. He’s... taken more of a hands-on approach to the whole process than I thought he was going to.” 

Ladybug’s first thought was, “What does that mean?” but decided not to push him. Instead she asked, “How does that make you feel?” 

“Annoyed. I—I thought that even though he was making me do this stupid show in the first place that I would at least get to pick who the winner was. I could go at it with an open mind and an open heart and actually get to know the girls and pick one that I could see being my wife. But now, I have to consider my dad’s preferences and how my decision could affect the company in the future.” He sighed again and then looked Ladybug straight in the eye. “I just want to make this choice myself, without anyone else’s opinions influencing my decision.” 

“You deserve that much.” 

Chat smiled and gave Ladybug another hug. This hug lasted a while and Ladybug never realized how comfortable and safe and _at home_ she felt inside his arms. She could feel his head moving and she pulled back a little to see what he was doing. He rested his forehead on hers and whispered, “Thank you for supporting me. Knowing you were at the mansion yesterday made the whole day tolerable. I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

She smiled and looked up at him. “You don’t know how much your presence changed everything for me too. Especially seeing all of those girls fawning over you. It helped me stay calm knowing that my Chaton was there looking for me.” He smiled at that and pulled away. 

She missed his presence but knew it was time for them to start their rounds around the city. Slowly she stood, and offered him a hand to get up as well. “Well, duty calls, and we’ve been ignoring our city for the whole weekend.” 

He took her hand and stood as well, though he held on to her hand a little bit longer. “Honestly, I’m surprised it didn’t randomly burst into flames or something while we were gone.” 

At that, she laughed, a good hearty laugh. “Come on, Chaton. I’ll race you to the other side of the city.” 

“You’re on.”

\----------------------------------------------------

When they had finished their rounds, Chat had decided to be the gentleman and walk Ladybug back to the mansion. It was a wonderful feeling, walking his lady home, but it was also odd knowing that inside her current house was 21 other girls he was dating too. He stopped her on a rooftop about a block away from the mansion. She turned to look at him with those gorgeous bluebell eyes and he knew that he had to do it.

“Ladybug, can I ask you something?” Instead of answering, she turned her body fully towards him so that he had her full attention. That was one of the things he loved about her, how she was always there to listen if he needed her. “I, um, need to ask a favor of you.” 

She tilted her a little to the side and she looked at him quizzically. He gulped and looked down at his hands, which were twisting nervously. He kept feeling as though he was under a microscope before remembering that there were no cameras around now. It was just him and his lady. Just the way he liked it. 

“That depends on what it is, but I’ll try my best.” At that he smiled and looked back up at her. He hardened his resolve and just went for it. He leaned in and put his lips on hers and hoped she wouldn’t freak out. 

Freak out is exactly what she did. She jerkily leaned back and made a noise that sounded almost like a choked scream. “What was that for?” she demanded, her tone a lot harsher than he thought it would have been. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do! I’ve never kissed anyone before and I just wanted to take a chance and—” before he could continue, she cut him off. 

“You’ve never kissed anyone before?” 

He ducked his head, feeling the blush stain his cheeks. “No, not that I remember,” he mumbled. Him and Ladybug have kissed on two other occasions. Once during an akuma that Chat didn’t find out about until months later, and another right after they had their memories wiped, but before Ladybug’s cure was done. _That_ one had been photographed, so he had proof, but he didn’t count those since he couldn’t _remember_ them happening. 

“Oh, that’s right,” Ladybug replied knowingly (and with a slight blush, Chat noticed). Her eyes lit up with a new-found fire though as she asked, “Wait, not even as Adrien?” 

All Chat could do was shake his head. 

At that, she let out a short laugh, “You, Adrien Agreste, have never kissed someone before?”

“Oh my gosh, do you have to tell the whole city?!”

“I’m speaking at a normal voice level,” She pointed out flatly. 

“But it feels like you’re yelling.” He crossed his arms and gave her a pout. Normally she would laugh at his childish stance and then they could move on, but he wasn’t as lucky this time. 

“So why did you decide to jump me with this kiss?” It was her turn to cross her arms and the sight made Chat feel more like cowering away than laughing. 

He decided the truth was less embarrassing than what just happened. “The producers told me that I have to kiss someone this first week. Normally, the Bachelor kisses a good handful of the girls on the first night, but I was too embarrassed by the fact that I had never done that to do so. I want my first kiss to be memorable and with someone that I’m comfortable around, so I thought you would be the best choice.” He let his voice trail off, giving her the chance to respond. He was mentally kicking himself and he hoped that she would at least forgive him and they could forget this ever happened. 

Instead, she walked up to him and placed her hands on his cheeks, pulling his eyes to hers. She began rubbing his temple. “Wha—What are you doing?” Her proximity and touch hadn’t bothered him earlier, but it stirred something in him this time that made him want to lean down and kiss her again. 

“I’m erasing that memory. If this is going to be your first kiss it needs to be a proper one.” Before he could reply, her lips were on his and he forgot whatever he was going to say. He had imagined what it would be like to kiss Ladybug a million times, but none of those had prepared him for this. Her lips were soft, sweet, and tasted like strawberry lip gloss. He felt her melt into him and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. 

Too soon, _way too soon_ she was pulling away. She looked up at him and gave him a shy smile. “I really need to get back before they discover I’m gone.” He felt his head nod, but was still too much in shock to respond with words. “Thanks for letting me be your first kiss. I’ll see you later.” And with that she ran to the edge of the building and yo-yoed her way towards the mansion. 

He managed to get himself headed back towards the hotel he was staying in before a yell of excitement escaped his lips. He felt like running and dancing and celebrating and screaming it from the rooftops and yet keeping the whole beautiful moment to himself. He was overwhelmed and excited and he knew that he was going to marry her. He just had to figure out which one she is.

He went to sleep that night with a smile on his face and even Plagg’s complaints about staying out too late couldn’t ruin his newfound happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make the "first" kiss between the two special so I took a little away from canon and helped it seem like something they could tell their grandkids about in the future. 
> 
> Also, if you've ever read the book series "The Selection" you may recognize this kiss scene! "The Selection" is the reason I began watching The Bachelor and I felt I had to make a little tribute to it with this sweet scene, so the idea wasn't entirely mine! Check the books out if you never have, I promise you won't be sorry!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! Quarantine-forced writing has commenced and another chapter has arrived! 
> 
> 2 Things you need to know: 
> 
> 1\. I came up with this date idea BEFORE they did it on the Bachelor this season (you can ask my sister lol)  
> 2\. Slightly long chapter below, but I promise it's worth your time :-)
> 
> Enjoy!

Marinette woke up with a newfound determination. The kiss last night with Chat was magical and if she was going to get the opportunity to do that again, then she was going to have to fight like hell for Adrien. Today they would get their first date card and know who was going on the first group date tomorrow. Marinette hoped beyond hope that she would go. She didn’t care who she was stuck with, but she needed to see Adrien again. 

A knock came at the door and one of the “mansion moms” poked her head into the room. “Rise and shine ladies! Chris Harrison will be here in an hour with the first date card!” Then off to the next room she went. Mathilde was already rummaging through her stuff and throwing things like her hairbrush and various clothing items onto the bed. She gathered up all of her stuff and ran out of the room before Marinette could even say “Good Morning.” 

She glanced over at Tikki, who gave her a slight shrug of her shoulders before darting into her cookie bag. Marinette got up, changed and was prepping all of her stuff to head into the bathroom when her door opened. She looked up expecting Mathilde, but instead was greeted by a cameraman. She gave a slight yell and instinctively covered herself, even though she was fully clothed. The man gave a slight chuckle, “Morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?” She blanched at him as he laughed his way out of the room. 

Tikki flew up to Marinette. She had never looked so angry before. “Oh, I should chase after that man and give him a piece of my mind!” 

At that, Marinette laughed. “I’d appreciate the thought, but a cameraman discovering that Ladybug is in the mansion sounds even worse than getting degrading comments.” 

Tikki deflated at that and landed in Marinette’s outstretched hands. “Oh, but it would have been so much more fun.” 

“Sorry Tik. Thanks for the support though. I really appreciate it.” She nuzzled Tikki up to her cheek and Tikki gave her a small hug. 

The door began to open again, which caused Tikki to dash back into Marinette’s suitcase. This time, though, it was Mathilde. “You better hurry,” she told Marinette as she entered. “Girls from other bathrooms are starting to raid the upstairs ones because they are larger. If you want your time in there you need to hurry.” 

Marinette thanked her and headed out the door.

\----------------------------------------------------

The morning was a blur of curling irons, straighteners and various forms of make-up. Everyone wanted to look their best for the first group date card. The rushing around and primping didn’t make sense to Marinette. They were just going to _get_ the date card. No one was actually going _on_ a date with Adrien today. 

Exactly an hour after Marinette woke-up, the girls were all gathered in the couch area right near the front door. They weren’t strategically placed this time, so Marinette stuck herself in between Hanna and Lucie. They heard a knock at the door, which caused all of the girls to jump. One of the crew members went an opened it and in walked Chris Harrison. The sight of him caused butterflies to go off in Marinette’s stomach, especially once she noticed the folded card in his hand. 

“Good morning ladies.” He said as he entered with a smile. “How was your first night at the mansion?” All of the girls chorused back a, “Good,” before he moved on. “Great. It seems like you all got settled in just fine. I won’t hold out on you any longer as you all look very excited for this.” He waves the date card around and all of the girls cheer. Marinette can’t help but join in. 

“The first date card of the season is here. I’m stressed for you.” All of the girls giggle, and Marinette can’t help but appreciate how good he is at this. He puts them all in one room, makes them feel comfortable and finds a way to make even presenting a card with names on it entertaining. “Hopefully, I’ll see you all at the next Rose Ceremony.” He then places the date card on the coffee table and walks out of the room. 

Gabrielle is the first one to the card and she picks it up and walks to the front of the group where Chris was just standing. She beams at the girls in front of her and begins reading the names off in a clear, loud voice. 

“Hanna.” Marinette immediately turns towards her friend and squeezes her shoulder. Hanna’s jaw has dropped and she turns towards Marinette and smiles. 

“Valentine,” Marinette recognizes her as the girl who did backflips the first night. She later learned that she is a professional gymnast from the south of France. She squeals a little and hugs the girl next to her. 

“Pauline,” This one girl Marinette doesn’t recognize, but Hanna leans over and tells her that she’s one of the girls from Sweden. 

“Zoe,” At the mention of her name, Zoe reaches over and grabs Gabrielle’s hand. Gabrielle pauses a moment to smile at her friend before continuing to read. 

“Juliette,” Hanna leans over and squeezes her friend, clearly excited that they are going on this date together. Marinette feels a pang of jealousy and starts to cross her fingers, hoping that her name gets called too. 

“Camille,” A plain looking girl across the circle let’s out a sigh and relaxes back onto the couch. 

“Gabrielle,” Gabrielle says, flipping her hair over her shoulder and smiling out at the group. 

“Alice,” Marinette’s hands are shaking now as Alice gives a little “Woohoo!” and smiles at the group. 

“Marinette,” she lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and allows Hanna to pummel her in a hug. She gets to go on a date with Adrien! 

Gabrielle pauses before reading, “Smile bright, Adrien.” 

At that the girls squeal and begin trying to decipher the clue. One girl yells out, “I bet you guys are going to do some modeling!” While another said, “Oh, I hope you get to meet someone famous!” Marinette didn’t care about any of it. She was going on a date with Adrien and it was going to be perfect no matter what they did.

\----------------------------------------------------

Monday went by _so slowly_. At least the girls talked to Marinette today. Or at least, Hanna and Juliette talked with her. They actually never left her side. They were all chatting about what they were going to wear, what they were going to do, what they were going to say. It seemed the date was the only thing anyone in the house could talk about.

Right before Marinette got ready for bed that night, Sarah gathered all of the girls going on the date the next day. “All right ladies!” Sarah and Jade were very enthusiastic about everything. That made the feel of the house seem less scary, but it also freaked Marinette out a little. “Tomorrow, you will get picked up for your date at around 9am so make sure you are ready by the front door by then. I was also told to tell you to wear something cute, but something you aren’t afraid to change out of.” And on that note, she bid them goodnight and walked away. 

“What do you think she means by that?” Hanna leaned over to whisper to her and Juliette. 

“Truthfully, it probably just means that they all want us to wear something similar, like an outfit to go with the date. It’s probably nothing serious.” Marinette responded, setting Juliette and Hanna into giggles. 

“Well whatever it is, I hope it’s a blast and that I get to spend some time with Adrien!” Hanna squealed and Juliette and Marinette broke into more laughter. She bid the girls goodnight and headed upstairs to her room. Mathilde wasn’t in the room (that girl was NEVER in the room!) and so Marinette used this time to catch Tikki up on what had been happening. They both agreed that Tikki would go with her tomorrow, and Tikki even helped Marinette pick out her outfit for tomorrow. It was a simple shirt and jean combo that she paired with a black leather jacket that had enough room for Tikki to hide in. 

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!” Tikki squealed before flying off to her make-shift bed in Marinette’s suitcase. 

“Me too, Tikki. Me too.” Marinette whispered as she turned off her light and settled in for another night of sleep.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette woke up to screaming. Her first thought was an akuma and she was vaulting over the bed and running into the hallway to see for herself before she was even fully awake. She had slid down the banister of the stairs, knowing that Tikki was hot on her tail, before she realized that it wasn’t scared screaming, but rather _mad_ screaming. Apparently, two of the girls going on the date today decided to wear almost the exact same outfit. Once they discovered it, they ended up in a screaming match about who would change. Marinette caught Tikki’s eye as she hid in the ceiling and rolled her eyes as she walked back up the stairs.

“It’s always a good morning when there isn’t an akuma!” Tikki said cheerfully as she watched Marinette gather her toiletries and her make-up. “Even though two girls screaming at each other is not what I would call a nice wake-up call.” 

“At least I’m awake now,” Marinette said with a sigh. Within 15 minutes Marinette was ready to leave and had traveled downstairs to eat breakfast before they left to go on the date. There, she found Hanna and Juliette, excitedly chatting over their eggs. 

Hanna squealed once she saw Marinette. “Good morning!” 

“Good morning,” Marinette said through a laugh. “I take it you’re more of a morning person?” 

Hanna laughed, “Of course! At home we have to wake up bright and early in order to tend to the animals. I’m not used to getting my eggs out of a fridge!” Hanna’s enthusiasm was at least balanced out by Juliette’s calm. She, like Marinette, was stifling a yawn and sipping on a steaming hot cup of coffee. 

“My parents are morning people, since they have to wake up early and get things ready for the bakery, but I guess I never inherited that gene.” Marinette made herself some coffee and began frying an egg for her breakfast. Their number slowly began to grow as all of the other girls going on the group date came and grabbed something to eat. It was easy to tell that Pauline and Alice were the two who had fought this morning about their outfits, as they were deliberately not making eye contact with each other. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that made all of the girls jump. Marinette, Hanna, and Juliette went to go answer it and quickly called back to the others that it was their ride. It was a black van that had no windows and was very plain looking on the inside. It had about 12 seats, not including the one in the front next to the driver, which were separated by a thin wall. The driver could communicate to them through a speaker, but they couldn’t talk to him. No one took that seat though as the driver ushered them into the back. Marinette ended up next to Hanna and Gabrielle, who it seemed had forgiven Marinette for her interaction the first day in the mansion. 

The girls all chatted excitedly (except for Pauline and Alice) as they were driven to their destination. No one could tell where they were going, which slightly unsettled Marinette. Tikki was comfortably inside her pocket, but the idea of being blind in the city was still kind of scary, even with the god accompanying her. 

When the van stopped and the door was opened, Marinette was one of the very first to get out. They were on the side of the road near a bunch of shopping buildings and it took Marinette about 30 seconds to realize that they were on the Champs-Élysées. She let out a sigh and listened to the driver as he gave them instructions. 

“Once I drive away, you guys are going to walk down this street and round the left corner. Once you do, you’ll see Adrien and a crew waiting for you. Adrien will explain everything else.” The girls giggled excitedly. The driver cleared his throat and all of the girls turned back to look at him. “I don’t think this actually needs to be said, but I’ve been instructed to tell you to act excited when you see Adrien. It may even do you some good to run towards him.” The group turned and began chatting as he gave them a nod and got back into his van. 

As soon as the van was away from the sidewalk, the group set off towards their destination and Adrien. Once they turned the corner, everyone broke into a run. Because of her position in the back of the group, Marinette didn’t see Adrien until they were practically on top of him. Camille got to him first and gave him a hug, and he was kind enough to circle around and give everyone one in turn. When he got to Marinette, her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath, wondering if he would recognize her from the touch. When he pulled away he gave her a smile and then moved on to Hanna who was behind her. 

After Adrien had acknowledged all of the girls, he turned to face the group with his back towards the storefront. Marinette noticed that it was a Gabriel store front and wondered if his father’s company played a role in today’s date. 

“I have a very exciting date planned for all of you today,” Adrien starts with a grin that rivals one of his as Chat Noir. “Let’s go on inside and see what’s _hanging_.” The girls giggled at his pun, though Marinette found it extremely terrible. She forced a half-hearted laugh as they stepped into the store. 

Marinette hasn’t ever actually been inside of a Gabriel store before, but it’s exactly how she imagined it to be. The store was split into two different sections: men’s and women’s. The clothes themselves were enough to make Marinette drool. She could have admired the designs for hours if given the chance. She was caught up in admiring a blouse that was cut in a very unique way when a giggling Hanna elbowed her in the side. She looked over and saw that most of the girls couldn’t tear their eyes away from the men’s section. Everywhere they looked, were pictures of Adrien. He seemed to have modeled every male outfit in the store and his face was everywhere. 

The real Adrien cleared his throat and continued to lead the girls further into the store. Once they pushed passed all of the clothing racks, they found three judges waiting for them. The sight of one blonde haired, blue eyed girl made Marinette’s stomach drop. The shrill “ADRIKINS!” didn’t help much at all, either. 

“Who is that?” Juliette whispered to Hanna and Marinette. 

While Hanna just shrugged, Marinette answered with an eye-roll. “Chloe Bourgeois. She went to school with me and is the Mayor of Paris’s daughter. She’s hated me for as long as I can remember.” 

“Oh no!” Hanna gasped. “Do you think that will affect the date?” 

Marinette just shrugged as they turned towards the front, where Adrien was detaching Chloe from his arm. Marinette heard him whisper, “We’ll talk later Chloe,” before he turned to the girls and addressed them. “As you can see, ladies, I have brought in some special guests to help me with our date today. Allow me to introduce to you my personal friend, daughter of the Mayor of Paris and socialite, Chloe Bourgeois.” The girls responded with a polite smattering of applause, and Chloe waved like she was on a parade float to the crowd. 

“Our next guest is known as the ‘Queen of Fashion’ and she is the director of the fashion magazine _Style Queen_ , Audrey Bourgeois.” During her applause, Hanna leaned over, “Chloe’s mom?” to which Marinette gave a nod. Marinette had some interesting history with Audrey that lead to her not being a big fan of Marinette’s. This date was going downhill quickly. 

“And finally, our last guest judge and someone who spends their days designing all of the clothes you see in this store. Here representing the Gabriel brand, Victor Arsenau.” Victor, who was a dark-haired tall man in his late 20s/early 30s, gave the group of girls a once over and nodded to Adrien. 

“Today, not only will you be shopping the cutest clothes, shoes and accessories, but you’re actually going to be taking a walk in my shoes and model in a Gabriel fashion show!” All of the girls squealed in excitement, and even Marinette couldn’t help but join in a little. “You’re really going to have to let your personality shine through because you are going to be competing. Our judges are going to be judging on style, technique, and most importantly personality.” 

Victor stepped forward and addressed the girls. “The winner today is going to be able to keep their outfits that they wear.” Another excited chatter rippled through the group as he continued. “You have one hour until the fashion show starts. Pick a daytime outfit and an evening wear and then go and get ready for the show.” 

Adrien beamed as he said, “All right ladies. On your mark, get set, go!” The group scattered as everyone dove into the clothes. The store was well stocked with clothes that would work well on Marinette. The hardest part of this would be narrowing down exactly what she wanted to show off. Well, that and avoiding Chloe. 

She dodged Chloe the first time by ducking into a dressing room with a couple of pieces she was leaning towards for her daytime outfit. The second time, she volunteered to interview with the producers about her reactions to the date so far. The third time, she wasn’t as lucky. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe said, drawing out the syllables in her name. 

“Hi, Chloe,” Marinette sighed as she continued to flip through the clothes. They had about 15 minutes before they had to be getting changed for the fashion show and Marinette was having problems with her evening outfit. 

“I knew your love life was sad, but I didn’t think it was reality TV show sad.” Chloe taunted while examining her nails. When she made eye contact with Marinette her eyes were full of fire and Marinette knew this wasn’t going to end well. 

“What do you want Chloe?” Marinette asked, allowing some of the annoyance she was feeling to leak through into the question. 

“Oh, nothing.” Chloe replied with a not-so-innocent grin. “I just wanted to remind you that I’m here, and that I have power over your life today. So, you better be nice.” Chloe’s wagging finger came very close to Marinette’s face. 

The noise that came out of Marinette would have rivaled one of Chat’s growls. “Chloe, I will not let this petty high school ‘rivalry’ or whatever you want to call it ruin my date today with Adrien.” Marinette’s grip on the dress she had picked up tightened so much so, she was worried she would break the hanger. 

“Now, now, Marinette. That’s not the way to talk to one of the _judges_. And besides, you don’t stand a chance with Adrien. Just like you don’t stand a chance of pulling off that dress.” She gave a taunting laugh as she gestured to the dress Marinette was clutching. “Well, anyway. I have to be off doing, you know, important things for the fashion show.” She turned and gave Marinette a look full of hatred. “I guess I’ll see you out there.” With a flip of her hair, Chloe turned on her heel and stalked off towards the runway. 

Marinette was so mad, she didn’t even realize that the producers were moving all of the girls backstage to get ready. She didn’t even have time to put the dress she had been holding back. Marinette wasn’t the only one who was fuming. 

“I can’t believe she would ruin this for you because of old history!” Tikki was shaking she was so upset. “Why can’t she be more like you and let the past stay in the past?” 

“I don’t know Tikki.” Marinette sighed. She stepped backstage and was instructed to put her outfits on the rack. As she was hanging all of her items up, she let out a gasp, “Oh no!” 

“What is it, Marinette?” Juliette asked as she passed. Tikki flitted into Marinette’s jacket as she turned to address her friend. “I didn’t pick out an evening wear!” 

“Well then what’s that dress for?” Juliette pointed to the last hanger in her hand. 

“I picked this one on accident! Chloe had come up to me and was saying some frustrating things and it was in my hand and then they moved us all back here! I didn’t have time to put it away.” Marinette threw her hands up and almost hit herself with the dress itself. 

“Looks like the only thing you can do is wear it. Is it your size?” Marinette checked the tag and gave a nod. “Don’t worry, it’ll work out great. The shoes you picked for your first outfit will work for those as well. And I think Alice picked a necklace for her daytime outfit that would work perfectly with this. You can ask her if you can use it.” Juliette gave a shrug and walked over towards her station where some make-up was waiting. 

“She’s right, you know,” Tikki whispered from inside Marinette’s jacket. “Plus, I want to see the look on Chloe’s face when you walk down the runway with it on,” Tikki added with a small giggle. 

“You’re right. I can totally rock this runway.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien had been dreading this date. The date itself was going to be a lot of fun, especially since he wasn’t the one doing the modeling. It was really having to spend part of his day with Chloe. She didn’t take him having to do the show very well (it actually led to him being thrown out of her room followed by various vegetables from a tray being thrown at him as he left) and he was kind of grateful for the excuse not to see her for a couple of months. Thankfully, they prepped him for her presence today so he had enough time to not act surprised when he saw her.

From their first encounter she’s been a problem. She latched herself onto him and called him ‘Adrikins’ and was snuggled up really close to him. He could only imagine what the girls were thinking right now. He was going to have to explain that Chloe is just a childhood friend and nothing more. As if that’s not enough, he also caught her harassing some of the girls while they were picking their outfits. Adrien could only imagine what she was going to say about them as they walked down the runway. 

The judges were already sat out in the audience as well as almost 50 people, who were just there to see the fashions and the girls. Adrien was on a different side of stage than the girls (he always seemed to be separated from them) as he waited to be announced to the crowd. After that, though, he would just sit and be a spectator. 

The music started to pick up and Adrien could hear the audience cheering for the announcer as he walked onto the stage. 

“Hello everybody and welcome to this special Gabriel fashion show!” Cue more cheers from the audience. “Tonight, Adrien and his lovely ladies will be strutting down this runway showing off some of the best of the Gabriel line. The ladies will be sporting two outfits, a daytime wear and an evening wear. The judges are going to decide the best two and they will go head-to-head and the winner will win exclusive outfits from Gabriel!” At this the audience went wild and Adrien could even hear the excitement of the girls from the other side. 

“Are you ready to see the Bachelor?!” Adrien knew his cue was coming and he tried not to let the screams distract him. “Give it up for Adrien Agreste!” 

Adrien stepped out from the side curtain onto the runway. The lights, the sounds, the feel of it all was so familiar, but once he got to the end of the runway, he was able to go and sit with the judges. Their chairs were on the same level as the runway, which made it easy for Adrien. But, his Chat Noir bad luck must have been strong today, because the seat they saved him was right next to Chloe. 

He sat down waving and reminded himself that he needed to keep a smile, since a camera would be on him all of the time. Once he was seated, Chloe leaned over and whispered, “Ready to see all of your exes walk down the runway?” 

Adrien kept his smile and spoke through his teeth, “I’m currently dating all of them, which makes them all my girlfriends.” 

“Not for long,” she sing-songed before turning back towards the runway. Before Adrien could ask her what she meant by that (or what she was planning), they called the first girl’s name. 

“Please welcome to the runway, Zoe!” 

The girls took turns coming out and in Adrien’s opinion they all looked amazing. They worked the runway really well. Adrien had no trouble finding nice things to say about them. Chloe on the other hand... 

“Look at that top. That color does not go well with her complexion and the style makes her boobs look small.” “Does she even know how to walk properly in heels? She looks like she’s about to twist an ankle.” All Adrien could do was rush out more compliments, especially if the girl was close enough to hear what she had been saying. 

“Chloe....” Adrien chastised under his breath. 

“What, Adrikins? I’m just speaking the truth.” Chloe’s voice was innocent, but Adrien knew better than to believe that. He had seen Chloe use that voice on multiple people and get away with lots of stupid things when they were younger. 

“Well speak ‘the truth’ quieter.” Adrien whispered back. At least Audrey was being professional about this whole thing. Adrien didn’t know if he could handle two Bourgeois ladies tearing down his new girlfriends. 

“Last for our daytime wear is Marinette!” 

Chloe looked almost devilish as Marinette walked down the catwalk. Adrien had trouble keeping his eyes off of her as she walked closer to him. She was wearing some high-waisted jean shorts with a sparkly black sash pulled through the belt loops. The sash was too long, which made sense considering how petit Marinette is, so a section of it hung down and accented the curve of her legs. The shirt was more modest than what some of the other girls had been sporting. It was a striking red, off the shoulder top that had quarter-length sleeves that stopped right below her elbow. It accented her curves and made everything else pop. The crowd had hushed as they took in her outfit and once she shot Adrien a wink, the girls around him let out a scream. 

Beside him, Chloe was silent. Adrien peeled his eyes off of Marinette and turned towards her. As he did, Chloe began to stand out of her seat and she looked as though she was going to kill. Thankful for his cat-like reflexes, he grabbed Chloe’s arm and pulled her back down. He didn’t loosen his grip until Marinette was safely off of the runway. 

“Ow, Adrien let go you’re hurting me,” Chloe whined.

Adrien did as she asked and leaned in close. “If you touch any of those girls, I will personally see to it that you won’t be able to text, blog, post on social media, or even make a phone call for a _month_.” 

Chloe gasped and her hand went up to cover her mouth as if she was in a movie, “You wouldn’t.” 

“Don’t test me and don’t touch the girls.” Adrien hoped that the sneer on his face couldn’t be seen by a camera, but he couldn’t fake a smile at the moment as his blood was boiling. Comments are one thing, physically getting involved is a whole other problem Adrien wasn’t going to allow. 

Soon after the girls were coming back out in their evening wear. Most of them wore beautiful dresses that looked like something they would wear to one of the show’s cocktail parties. Hanna, sweet innocent thing, came out in the comfiest pair of pajamas Adrien had ever seen. He wasn’t even aware that his Father’s company sold pajamas, but here was the proof, right in front of him. Gabrielle wore pajamas too, but she took a little different take on hers. She was wearing a silky robe and as she got to the edge of the catwalk, she dropped the robe to her shoulders and showcased a black lingerie set. She looked amazing, but Chloe had some choice words to say about _that_ particular outfit. 

Last up on the runway was Marinette. Adrien gave Chloe a quick glance, trying to read her expression and see if she was going to try something. Adrien saw a look of disbelief cross her face as he heard Chloe mutter a “She didn’t.” He looked up and saw Marinette start down the catwalk in a shimmering gown. She was literally sparkling as she walked, her dress a shiny champagne color. The dress had spaghetti straps and a VERY low-cut neckline that was accented well by a simple necklace. It flowed out at the waist and had a high slit in the leg that was only noticeable when she walked. When she hit the end of the catwalk, Adrien noticed that the back of the dress was nonexistent, and he wondered how in the world she got it to stay up. Everyone was entranced by the look and the crowd cheered loudly for her as she exited. 

Once Marinette was off, they put on some casual music and told everyone the judges were going to confer then announce the top two. Adrien wasn’t invited to that conversation but he did manage to whisper a “Be fair,” to Chloe as she walked away. 

Adrien was approached by the producers then and went and filmed his individual interviews about the date. They asked him questions about Chloe, but he ignored those questions and eventually they got the hint. By the time he was seated again, the judges were back and the girls were being brought back onto the stage. 

“It’s always a hard decision when you are judging these runway shows because all of these ladies were gorgeous in their outfits, right?” The audience cheered and even Adrien gave a little shout for them. “Two of you really stood out to the panel. And those ladies are...” There was a dramatic pause where Adrien was almost as nervous as the girls appeared to be. “Gabrielle,” the audience cheered, “And... Marinette!” Chloe deflated like she didn’t help make this decision. Adrien was going to have to ask Chloe about her apparent dislike for Marinette, as it seemed like something he should know. 

“We’re going to give the ladies a couple of minutes to change, and then we will be back for the winning walk.” 

Adrien took this chance to turn towards Chloe. “Okay the game’s up. What do you have against Marinette?” 

Chloe’s scowl colored her face as her arms crossed in front of her, “Nothing.” 

“Oh, nice try, Chlo.” Adrien hoped that using this nickname would lean her more towards being honest with him. “I’ve known you for too long to accept that answer.” He shot her a knowing look and she had trouble meeting his gaze. 

“Look, it’s nothing that concerns you.” 

“Considering that Marinette is my girlfriend, then yes I think it does concern me.” 

“She is one of your MANY girlfriends and this started before you met her.” At that, Chloe turned away and refused to talk to him. 

Before too long, the music dimmed and the announcer came back on the speakers. “All right ladies and gentlemen, are we ready for the final walk-off?” The crowd gave an excited scream and Adrien sat back in his chair, finally turning away from Chloe. 

Marinette and Gabrielle walked out onto the catwalk at the same time in the same dress. This dress was a short one but it looked amazing on both of the girls, even though their body types were very different. It was a black base that had a high neckline with startling white accents. It left their shoulders bare and fell to their knees. It was form-fitting, but the most noticeable part of the dress was the fabric flowing off of it, also a shimmery black. When the girls walked, it billowed out to the side and made the dress seem longer than it was. 

The crowd was going wild as these two girls walked. Both were confident and beautiful, and Adrien didn’t know how he could be so lucky to be dating them both. 

After a few seconds of discussion, the judges had both girls stand at the beginning of the catwalk. The music shifted to increase the intensity and both girls grabbed hands to support the other and the sight of them being friendly warmed Adrien’s heart. Then the announcer said, “And the winner is... Gabrielle!” 

Marinette grabbed Gabrielle in a hug and then gracefully stepped off to the side as she was brought out the clothes she had worn earlier in Gabriel bags. she waved and seemed very excited, and Adrien walked up to her and gave her a hug. 

“Congratulations, Gabrielle!” 

“Thank you, Adrien! This was so much fun!” 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it! You know...” he leaned in closer so she could hear over the roar, “you should totally wear that dress tonight to the cocktail party. I think you look amazing in it.” Adrien watched as she blushed and he felt a small since of pride knowing he did that. 

“You know what, I just may.” She gave him a wicked smile and as he hugged her again, he just happened to notice Marinette off to the side. She was chatting with the other girls, who had swarmed her once she hadn’t been declared the winner. He just happened to catch her eye and she gave him a smile. He smiled back and was happy to see that she was taking the loss well. 

Soon it was time for them to leave and get ready for the cocktail party that night. He decided not to delay the inevitable and went to say goodbye to Chloe and the other judges. He thanked Victor and Audrey, who was clearly bored. She brushed him off with a “I only do it for the cameras and publicity.” 

Chloe was lingering and Adrien knew that she wanted to talk. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I’ve been acting weir—” He began, but she cut him off. 

“Invite me to join the show.” She said definitively. 

Adrien blanched. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“Invite me to join you on the show. Invite me into the mansion. Give me a chance to date you.” Adrien had never seen Chloe _beg_ for something before, but this was really close. 

“Chlo—” 

“No, don’t ‘Chlo’ me. Hear me out. I’ve always thought we would do it. Make our relationship more than just of friends. I’ve always imagined us dating for a little while and then having a beautiful engagement and having this outlandish wedding that Daddy would pay for and then we’d have kids and be out in the public eye...” Adrien held up a hand to stop her. 

“Chloe, if you really felt like this why didn’t you say something?” He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Or better yet, why didn’t you apply for the show after you knew I had to do this?” 

She ducked her head down and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I tried,” she replied softly. 

“What?”

“I went through the whole process but they didn’t invite me to the interviews.” Adrien had only seen Chloe cry once: the day that her mother first left for New York. Chloe’s eyes were full of tears and her bottom lip was trembling. She looked so young and hurt, and all Adrien wanted to do was hug her and tell her it would be okay, just like when her mother left. But he couldn’t. Not without giving her false hope, or hurting her even more. 

“Chloe. You are my oldest friend and someone I care about a lot. But, this show isn’t just a game for me. My father is very adamant about me doing this show exactly how he wants it done and I think this may be my only chance to find love.” _Plus, Ladybug is here and I have to find her._

“Adrien that’s not true. We can make this work. If you talk to you dad—” 

“Chloe, you of all people should understand how difficult that can be! I’m sorry that I have to do it like this, but I have to continue on with the show. I can’t—I can’t make any changes.” Adrien felt as though he was choking and he swallowed hard to push down the emotion that was rising in his throat. “I’ll always care for you Chloe, just not in the way you want me to. I have to go get ready for my date with the girls tonight.” At that, he turned and walked away, not daring to glance over his shoulder, knowing that the sight of Chloe crying would hurt more than anything.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone!  
> I got some fluffiness in this chapter to make up for some of the drama I've been giving you! I hope you enjoy!

Getting ready for the second half of the date was a breeze. Marinette had been feeling so confident and beautiful earlier that it just carried on into the second half of the evening. She was brought food into a room where she was getting ready and had to stuff her face in between styling her hair and putting on her make-up. When Marinette thought of dates, she thought of going out to eat and chatting over a meal and possibly sharing a dessert and fighting with the boy over who was going to pay, but instead her first date with Adrien consisted of a fashion show, eating in her dressing room and sharing the boy with 8 other girls. 

She was ready right as all of the other girls were and she had to admit, they all looked amazing. Marinette’s confidence began to ebb as the excitement of the fashion show died down and reality that she would have very little time to talk to Adrien set in. Getting to talk to him at all will be exciting, but she was still nervous. Alya briefed her on the low-down of group dates before she left and they usually involve fighting for time and any sort of drama that can ensue from putting so many girls in one place. 

They arrived at a gorgeous hotel (not Chloe’s Father’s, thank goodness) not long after the loaded into the van. There, a meeting area in a wing of the hotel was set up for them. They would be allowed to sit and be pulled away to chat with Adrien one at a time. The main area they were sitting in was beautifully decorated and had a rose on a dish sitting on the table. The girls were told not to leave this area unless they were asked or needed to go to the bathroom, etc. They were all handed drinks, and Marinette got a glass of white wine since they wouldn’t let her drink water this early in the evening. 

They waited for about 15 minutes for Adrien to walk in. Marinette sipped her wine while everyone else chatted about how the date had went and strategizing about what they were going to talk about with Adrien. Marinette wasn’t too worried. She had spent many hours just chatting with Adrien, only while he was Chat Noir. If the conversation ever came to a lull, she would be able to figure something out. 

Marinette heard a gasp and looked up to see Adrien entering. He looked stunning in his tailored slacks and green button down that brought out the color of his eyes. Some of the girls giggled excitedly as he got closer and he smiled at them all. 

“Hey ladies! Today was so much fun. I really enjoyed being a spectator on a runway, rather than a performer.” More giggles from the girls. “You guys did an amazing job and I was reminded of just how beautiful you all are. I can’t wait to talk with all of you tonight and dive in deeper with our relationships.” He paused and made eye contact with all of the girls before his eyes landed on Marinette. “Marinette, can I steal you for a second?” 

Marinette couldn’t help the blush that spread on her face. “Of course,” She stood up and followed him from the group. She could feel their eyes on her as she walked, but honestly, she couldn’t bring herself to care much with Adrien by her side. 

“How are you doing tonight?” He started, shooting Marinette a smile that made her heart flutter.

“It’s been pretty good so far. I will say I’m not a fan of eating in my dressing room, but I guess I’ll have to make do.” She gave a light laugh and Adrien joined in. It felt wonderful to hear him laugh, like a breath of fresh air after being underwater for a couple of minutes. 

“Sadly, if you choose to stay you’ll have to get used to it.” Adrien had led her to a couch that was giving out the illusion of privacy. But nothing was actually private here with the cameras lurking around. Adrien had Marinette sit first, like the gentleman he was, then he sat next to her, making sure to sit what could be considered an appropriate distance. Marinette thought he was too far away. “At least you only have to do it once a week. Between modeling and this, I feel like I only eat my meals in dressing rooms.” 

Marinette frowned at that. She’d heard Chat say that his home life wasn’t great. Once she had found out he was Adrien, she just assumed that he ate _with_ Gabriel, his father just didn’t talk to him much over meals. The thought of her kitty eating meals alone all the time broke her heart. “Well then when this is all over, I’ll have to take you to a restaurant and show you how normal people eat meals,” Marinette said firmly. 

Adrien’s eyes lit up. “You mean that?” 

“Win or lose, I promise. Cross my heart.” She took her finger and crossed it over her heart, just to show that she was serious. 

“Wow, thank you Marinette. That means so much to me.” He gave her hand a little squeeze and she intertwined her fingers with his. Their hands fit together so naturally and it sent electricity up Marinette’s arm. “I actually wanted to let you know how impressed I was with you today at the fashion show. Not only did you look amazing up there, but you handled losing very well. I don’t know if any of the other girls could have done what you did with such grace.” She blushed under his words as he continued, “Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your reaction. Awarding the winner could have gone really poorly and you helped it go really well.” 

Marinette was beaming under his praise. She had channeled her inner Ladybug on the catwalk today, much preferring to be the designer watching from the sidelines than the actual model. She had been happy for Gabrielle, and in Marinette’s opinion, she wore the final dress better than she did for sure. She appreciated that Adrien noticed her even though she didn’t win, it meant that he saw her even through the crowd. 

“That’s really kind of you, Adrien, but you don’t have to thank me for being nice. That’s something that everyone should do naturally.” 

“If that were true, Ladybug and Chat Noir would be out of a job. There wouldn’t be anyone for Hawkmoth to akumatize.” He gave a soft chuckle before his face grew suddenly serious. “Speaking of that, I have a question for you.” Marinette nodded, and he continued, “Is there a particular reason that Chloe Bourgeois doesn’t like you?” 

Marinette sighed. As much as she was expecting it, she was still hoping that this topic wouldn’t come up in her conversation with Adrien. She had decided that being honest was the best possible way to deal with this and hopefully making it go away. 

“She went to school with me when I was younger. She was in my class for 7 years in a row and she became my bully. No matter what I did, she picked on me, made fun of me, and drew attention to my mistakes in front of everyone. It wasn’t until I got older that I started standing up to her. I could never figure out why, but she never apologized for it and I never confronted her for a reason. I was hoping that she would drop whatever problem she had with me when we left high school, but she just took to subtle comments on social media and casual digs when we passed each other in the street.” Adrien’s jaw was dropped and Marinette wanted to stop, but Adrien needed to know what she had said to her today. “She even brought some of that anger with her today. Right before the fashion show started, she pulled me aside, tore me down and told me that I wouldn’t ever be able to get you, as if you were some prize to be won.” Marinette scoffed and shook her head. Her Kitty was worth more than a trophy to her. When she made eye contact with Adrien, she gave him a small smile, “She is actually the reason I picked my evening gown dress. She had said that I could never pull off that dress, so I decided to prove her wrong.”

Adrien looked shocked and she wished she could say something to make this easier on him. He took her hands and looked at her so intensely, Marinette thought she would shrink, but she stood her ground. “Marinette, I am so so sorry for the way that Chloe treated you, today, in school and every day in between. She is one of my oldest friends and she has always been kind to me. I never realized that she wasn’t the kindest to the other people she interacted with.” He shook his head and he suddenly wouldn’t look at her in the eyes. “I saw the way she treated the employees at the hotel and I should have known that would translate to her classmates.” 

“You never know everything about a person until you live a day in their shoes.” Marinette responded, placing her other hand on his shoulder. She yearned to touch his cheek, but she didn’t want to frighten him. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“You’re right,” He sighed, his eyes briefly meeting hers. When he looked back up at her, he had a sly smile on his lips that reminded her of something Chat would wear when he was going to do something crazy. She lowered her hand to her lap as he leaned in to whisper, “Well then I guess I have Chloe to thank for that jaw-dropping dress.” 

Marinette’s blush returned once again and she ducked her head, trying to hide the color. His hand gently touched her chin and lifted her head towards him. She automatically leaned closer to him, craving more of his kisses, though she knew that he had to be the one to initiate it. When their lips did touch, she had to stop herself from sighing. She had been dreaming about doing this again since Sunday night. His lips were soft and gentle, not asking too much of her. When they broke apart, she smiled and rested her forehead on his. 

“I really like you, Adrien,” She blurted out. The heat returned to her cheeks as his smile grew at her statement. 

“I really like you too, Marinette. Thank you for everything today.” He leaned back and stood up, offering her a hand to stand with him. She took it gratefully and he shifted their hands to where his arm was wrapped around hers while still having his fingers entwined in hers. They started walking back to where the other girls were gathered. 

“Thank you, Adrien, for everything. We should do it again sometime,” She shot him a bright smile and he laughed. 

“We really should.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The rest of the night was anticlimactic compared to her kiss with Adrien. She found out through the grapevine that he had ended up kissing Gabrielle, Camille, Hanna, and Juliette before the end of the night. At least she got to be the first one, but the thought of Adrien kissing 4 other girls tonight made her shiver. She had to keep reminding herself that this was exactly what she had signed up for, but it still sucked.

The only major drama that had come up involved Gabrielle. Pauline was upset at how much time Gabrielle got to spend with Adrien even though she had some time already after she won the fashion show earlier in the date. Gabrielle argued that she had barely spent any time with him after the show and that she needed to “mind her own business instead of sticking her nose into other’s relationship with Adrien.” Marinette had caught the end of the fight on her way back from the bathroom and was glad she had missed the majority of the shouting. Most of the other girls had scattered when the yelling started in order to avoid being dragged into this. Marinette found Hanna and Juliette hiding behind a wall right next to where the two girls were staring daggers at each other. 

“I heard the yelling, are they almost done yet? Adrien should be giving away the group date rose soon and we can go home and sleeeeeep,” Marinette asked pitifully as she rested her head on Hanna’s shoulder. This elicited a giggle from both girls and Marinette smiled knowing that she had dissolved some of the tension the others had created. 

“They should be.” Juliette replied while peeking around the corner. “I heard that the producers wanted to keep these emotions as high as possible for when Adrien gave out the group date rose to make it seem more heated on film.” Sure enough, as soon as Juliette had said that, a group of producers came around shuffling the girls into the main room with Gabrielle and Pauline, who were still very clearly mad, although a silence surrounded them. 

Almost as soon as the other girls were seated on the couches, Adrien walked into the room. Marinette noticed that almost every single girl sat up straighter and their smiles became brighter when he walked in. Some of the smiles seemed more forced and fake than others, but Marinette couldn’t help but be bothered by how “showy” this whole part of the date felt. 

Adrien inserted himself on the couch in between Valentine and Alice and addressed the girls as a group, “Thank you so much for tonight. It was so refreshing to be able to just talk to all of you with minimal distractions.” Marinette took that to mean that he had heard of the fight, but had decided not to do anything about it just yet. She was worried he would let this slide and would send the message that fighting and drama was okay within the house. That would only bring more problems. “The group date rose tonight is going to someone who was brutally honest with me and wasn’t afraid to hold anything back, even if it could stir up problems.” Adrien leaned across the table and grabbed the rose, and Marinette took a quick peek at his toned muscles as he stretched. Running around rooftops had done him good in the muscle department, just as Marinette was extra toned from her constant rooftop runs. Adrien sat back down with the rose and turned towards Marinette. “That being said, Marinette, will you accept this rose?” 

Marinette blushed, once again, she just couldn’t catch a break with him tonight, as she gave a nod. He reached over and gave her a hug before sitting back down on the couch. He looked up at one of the producers, a question unspoken in his eyes. 

The producer nodded and stepped forward. “Thank you, ladies, that was a wonderful take. Go ahead and take a quick moment to interview with our crew, 3 girls per camera, and then we’ll send you guys back to the mansion.” 

Marinette stood up with the other girls and waited her turn to give Adrien a hug goodbye. He whispered a quick, “Thank you for your honesty, Marinette. It means so much to me,” before giving her a quick squeeze and moving onto the next girl. She snagged a camera crew, hoping to get the interview over with quickly so she could sleep. 

“How did you feel going into the cocktail party tonight? Be sure to restate the question and pretend it’s the beginning of the night.” 

“Coming into the cocktail party tonight, I am just excited to see Adrien again. I felt so confident and beautiful doing the fashion show that I feel like I’m coming in on such a high. I really hope that this amazing day continues with a good conversation with Adrien.” 

“Great response. What did you think of Chloe Bourgeois coming up in your conversation with Adrien this evening?” 

“I knew Adrien was going to ask about Chloe. From the moment we entered Gabriel and saw her, I knew I would have to tell Adrien about my relationship with her. It’s an important part of my history that I want him to know, especially since Chloe is a friend of his.” 

“What do you think about being Adrien’s first kiss?” 

Marinette broke her composure and blanched. How in the world did they know about the fact that she, as Ladybug, was Adrien’s first kiss? She decided to play dumb rather than incriminate herself further. “What do you mean?” 

“You were Adrien’s first kiss on the show, and as far as the public knows, his first kiss ever. How does that make you feel? How was he?” 

She sighed and let her whole body relax. These people didn’t know that she was Ladybug or know of the pair’s other kisses. She gave a gentle smile, which she hoped would come off as shy rather then conceited and began to lie, “I honestly didn’t know but I’m honored that he chose me to be the first.” That was true, she just felt that a couple of days ago. “And considering he hasn’t done much kissing before tonight, he was surprisingly wonderful at it.”

“How did finding out that he kissed 4 other girls tonight as well make you feel?” 

“Finding out that Adrien had kissed 4 other girls tonight made my skin crawl. I just—” She paused, wondering how real she wanted to be with the camera. She decided to just be honest and hope that if it isn’t interesting enough they won’t put it in the show. “I hate that he’s dating the other girls as well. I know it’s part of the process, but I like Adrien enough to want to keep him for myself.” 

One of the producers cleared his throat and whispered to the man behind the camera. “Sorry, Marinette, we are going to need you to redo that. Instead of saying the word “process” say “journey,” okay?” Marinette gave them a blank look to which they responded, “It’s a rule. We don’t call the show a ‘process’ because that makes it sound cynical. We call it a ‘journey’ so it sounds more optimistic.” 

At that, she nodded obediently. “Can you remind me of what I said?” 

“Yeah, it started with ‘I hate that he’s dating the other girls as well. I know it’s part of the journey, but I don’t want to share Adrien.’” 

Marinette nodded and made the change they had asked of her. It was weird that she had to edit her own words, but she could try to remember to not say “process” and instead say “journey.” That way, she shouldn’t have to do that again.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien collapsed onto his bed with an exasperated sigh.

“Who knew dating 9 girls at once could be so exhausting?” Adrien asked his pillow. Sadly, the only response he received was from Plagg. 

“Why didn’t you address the fight the girls had?” Plagg asked, flying close to Adrien’s head. He shifted on the bed so he could see his kwami better. 

“Why do you care?” 

“Because not dealing with conflict quickly after it happens can cause more problems later on.” Plagg replied matter-of-factly. 

“And you know this because....?” 

“Listen here, kid. I’ve been around for thousands of years. I’ve seen a lot and I’ve dealt with a lot of petty problems. Why do you think that the 100 Years War got started? Over a small fight that was left to stew and grew into something big.” 

“Wait, didn’t the English try to take over France? That doesn’t seem like a small thing.” 

“That’s what the public knows of. It actually started because the French king didn’t think that the English were ruling their country correctly and he made a snide comment. It grew from there.” 

“That’s not true,” Adrien countered, sitting up in his bed.

“Kid,” Plagg started, putting a paw up to stop Adrien from talking. “I know what I’m talking about. So, shut up and listen for a bit.” Adrien nodded to show his compliance. “You need to address this problem. Ask the girls why they were upset, get both sides of their stories, if you can explain what you saw/thought/heard. From there you need to calm both girls down and help them to find some sort of solution that both can accept.” 

Adrien was speechless as Plagg flew away to his stash of Camembert. When he brought a piece back to the bed, Adrien didn’t even have it in him to shoo him away. He let the advice Plagg gave him swim around in his head. He knew that putting 22 girls to live with each other for a long amount of time was going to cause problems, he just didn’t know it would happen so soon. He needs to ready and next time, he can solve a fight like this quicker. 

“Plagg?” The god gave a slight hum to show he was listening. “What can I do to fix the problem from tonight?” 

Plagg swallowed his Camembert and then flew up to Adrien’s face. “You’re going to have to wait until the cocktail party on Saturday. Hopefully this will blow over, but if it comes up again, you have to address it.” 

“Thank you, Plagg. I really appreciate that you care.” Adrien changed into his pajamas and began getting ready for bed. 

“Anytime, kid. Someone’s got to be in your corner through all this.” 

Soon Adrien heard Plagg’s snores and he ended up tossing and turning all night, thinking about what Plagg said and what other crazy things this show had in store for him.

\----------------------------------------------------

The rest of the week was boring, and yet slightly entertaining. Because she had her date early in the week, she spent the rest of the week distracting herself before the cocktail party later on. She was required to attend the other two date card readings, which thankfully happened on the same day, just at different times. Lucie ended up with the one-on-one for this week. Everyone else would be going on a second group date, except Ines, Sophia and Lily, who were left dateless. Marinette spent some time comforting them, especially when Lila said something along the lines of, “He didn’t choose you because he doesn’t like you which means you’re going home.”

Once everyone was calm, Marinette entertained herself. Lucie was going on her date first, so most of the other girls were left in the house. Marinette was going to stay in her room and sketch in order to avoid all of the potential drama. However, Hanna found her and dragged her downstairs to the kitchen which was filled with laughing and happy-shouting. All of the girls had gathered and were receiving “cooking lessons” from Lila, who had claimed to be an amazing cook. 

The kitchen was a mess and everyone was laughing at their lame attempts of whatever Lila was trying to get them to make. When Hanna walked in with Marinette, she announced, “Don’t worry guys! Marinette’s parents own a bakery! She can teach us how to make something!” The other girls applauded and made sounds of their general approval as she was pushed to the front of the group. Lila was not amused and sulked to the back of the room with her arms crossed over her chest, refusing to participate. 

“Ooh! Can you teach us how to make macarons? I’ve always wanted to know how! Please?” One of the girls called out. Marinette couldn’t tell who had said it, but the other girls picked up her plea and Marinette was forced to agree. 

2 hours later (the others were slow and messy learners, plus they had to clean up the kitchen from Lila’s cooking disaster) the girls were all munching on store bought macarons from the pantry (they were too desperate for cookies to wait the hours for the flavors to mature) and chatting with the others about how much fun that all was. Marinette was sitting with Ines and Marie when she had a realization. The girls were laughing about something Marie had did that ended up with her covered in flour head-to-toe. Of course, Marinette had multiple stories like that, and as she listened to their small group cackle about one she had shared, she realized that she didn’t hate these girls. If they were put in the same class at school or forced to meet in some other way besides this show, they would probably all be friends. 

The thought made Marinette reevaluate how she had been spending her days. Sure, she needed to be able to escape in case an akuma came by, but how in the world could she survive her time in the mansion if she didn’t at least try to get along with the other girls? 

For the rest of the week, she stayed in the main meeting area. She ended up playing Monopoly, Clue (which she was actually good at), Twister, and even swept the crowd during a game of Poker. She got her fingernails painted by Lily and her toes painted by Constance. She laughed and smiled and actually enjoyed herself. Before she knew it, Friday was here and the girls were chatting about the cocktail party and rose ceremony the next day. Lucie had walked away from her one-on-one with a rose, and Sasha got one from the second group date. 

The tension in the mansion rose as the cocktail party grew closer. Marinette did laundry and cleaned both her bedroom and the bathroom she was assigned to distract herself. Finally, she settled into bed early and began writing a letter to Alya. If she could finish it before Sunday, she could deliver it to Alya’s window without her knowing. 

As she was writing, Mathilde came into the room. Marinette had tried to have conversations with her, but she never seemed interested. She started to get ready for bed, but instead of taking off her make-up, she started to reapply. 

“Hey, umm, Mathilde? Do you mind if I ask what you’re doing?” Marinette asked hesitantly from the bed. 

“I’m obviously getting ready for bed.” Mathilde stated flatly. 

“Then why are you putting more make-up on?” 

Mathilde turned away from her make-up mirror and rolled her eyes at Marinette. “Well, tomorrow is a rose ceremony, and I want to make sure that I am ready for the cameras in the morning. This way, when I get woken up, I already look beautiful.” Marinette shrugged and let her be. She thought her reasoning was flawed, but decided to ignore it. 

When Saturday morning came, Mathilde wasn’t the only one who had prepared themselves for an early morning. Multiple other girls had make-up on as Marinette watched them stumble out of bed. She tried to sleep late, but apparently, she was the only one in the house with that mindset. The overall noise of 21 girls moving and interacting and getting ready was too much for Marinette as she slipped out of bed and started getting ready. 

The cocktail party wouldn’t start until 7 tonight, just like on the first night, but even before lunch the girls were getting ready. Marinette spent the morning in the main room like she had all week, but no one was in the mood to enjoy any sort of conversation. The only girls who were as calm as Marinette were Lucie and Sasha. Finally, Marinette couldn’t handle it. She snuck up to her room, locked the door with a note that said “Napping, will be awake by 4:30” for Mathilde, and transformed. 

Marinette was very particular about not roaming Paris during the day time as Ladybug unless there was an akuma, but she had to break the rules today. She secretly hoped that Adrien as Chat Noir would show up as well, but after running around the city, taking pictures with fans, and even running into Alya and recording something for the Ladyblog, she saw no Chat. She went back to the mansion and gave Tikki a chance to recharge and unlocked the door right as 4:30 hit. She busied herself with getting ready as all of the other girls began to do the same. 

When 7 o’clock came around, the girls were gathered in one of the couch areas, awaiting someone to appear and officially start the cocktail party. One of producers showed up and addressed the gathered group. 

“Okay ladies, Adrien will be here in about 30 minutes. What we need from you now is kind of like a group discussion. I have some questions that I am going to have one girl ask the group, then you guys can take turns answering. If you have an answer, speak up so we can hear you and please be respectful while the others are talking.” 

The group discussion was super boring. The girls talked about how their opinions on the dates were, what bothered them, how excited they are for time with Adrien tonight, etc. Marinette just wanted to get the whole thing over with. 

Once the questions were finished and without warning, Adrien walked in the room. All of the girls squealed and awed and were just generally excited to see him. 

“Hello, ladies.” Adrien walked in beaming, and the girls began standing as he got closer. He was smartly dressed in a fitted suit and maroon tie. He looked handsome, although Marinette knew she wouldn’t be spending much time with him since she already had a rose. 

“You all look amazing tonight, I’m glad you’ve taken to the Gabriel wardrobe well.” He paused and a couple of girls giggled and played with their dresses, but most were giving their full attention to Adrien. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve had a pretty amazing week this week. I’m excited to see how all of our conversations go tonight, and I know not everyone here had a date, and for that I want to apologize. I can’t wait to talk to all of you tonight though, and I look forward to all of the conversations. So, cheers to tonight!” He raised a glass that had magically appeared in his hand and the girls all gave a little cheer. 

Lily was the first one to swoop in as she grabbed Adrien’s arm and walked out of the room. Marinette had pretty much decided to stay out of the other girls’ way and to just let them talk. At the end, she was going to say hi, give him a hug, and let him be. But until then, she got to be bored. 

Tikki was roaming the house, but kept an eye on Marinette just in case. When a producer’s phone started going off with an akuma alert, Tikki was the one to notice. She quickly found Marinette, who pretended to feel faint. Hanna and Juliette helped her to her room and told her to lay down until the rose ceremony so she didn’t faint on camera. She locked the door, and transformed for the second time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe until next time :-)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a break from my puzzling and Netflixing to write another chapter! Enjoy!

Adrien was notified of the akuma alert but was told to continue talking to girls as the akuma was not in this part of the city and shouldn’t affect the show. 

Adrien disagreed, wholeheartedly. 

“We have to hide.” Adrien told the producer firmly. He needed to transform, Ladybug needed a way to transform too if she hadn’t done so already. 

“Mr. Agreste, the akuma is too far from the mansion for us to shut down shooting. We still have about an hour left to shoot and we can’t do that if we are all in a safe place.” 

“Do you hear what you’re saying? Are you telling me that my life, that the life of these 22 women are LESS important than the filming of this show?” Adrien was yelling now and he knew that he would be hearing about this from Gabriel, but at this moment in time, he didn’t care. 

“We have explicit instructions to do so, yes.” The producer responded, clearly exasperated with Adrien’s attitude. 

“Who told you to keep filming? There are girls here not from France, not to mention Chris and the other crew members from America who have never dealt with an akuma attack. We have to move everyone to safety now, before the akuma comes closer to here.” Adrien wasn’t yelling anymore but his voice had gone to a level of calm that was frightening. He _needed to transform_ and this producer wasn’t going to stand in his way. 

“Gabriel Agreste was the one who gave the order.” 

Adrien stopped short. That was a whole other problem. He couldn’t directly disobey his father without there being consequences. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes, we got the call right before we notified you.” 

Adrien sat down with an angry groan and put his head in his hands. He knew he had lost. Standing up, he straightened his suit jacket and looked at the producer he had been arguing with. “Who’s the next girl?” He asked, his voice barely over a whisper. 

Looking at his clipboard, he read, “Jeanne.” 

Adrien sighed and began walking towards the group of girls. He was still fuming, but knew that the only person who deserved his anger was the one person who was never allowed to see it. On the bright side, at least he knew for a fact that Jeanne wasn’t Ladybug.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ladybug was not okay. She was swinging through the rooftops of Paris getting closer and closer to the akuma, while also painfully aware that Chat Noir hadn’t joined her yet. She knew that Adrien had heard about the akuma, but she didn’t know if he’d be able to find a good enough excuse to escape the cameras in order to transform.

When Ladybug landed on a rooftop nearest the akuma, she dropped low to observe what this akuma was up to. The akuma appeared to be male, he was dressed in what looked like a suit, but it was more brightly colored than a regular dinner suit. With splashes of blues, purples, and greens, it was beautiful in an almost sad way. His skin was a light shade of blue and his hair was the same. He had some strange markings on his face, but she was too far away to make out exactly what they were. 

This akuma didn’t seem to be too threatening, as no bystanders seemed to be injured and there was minimal damage in the surrounding area. After watching for a bit longer, she gathered that he shot a beam at people and they started acting funny. Some burst into tears, while others moped around on the street. She couldn’t figure it out exactly, but knew she needed to get closer to fight the akuma anyway. She just didn’t want to go in without her partner. 

She had stalled for as long as she could, but Chat still hadn’t made an appearance. “How can I make it where the producers HAVE to let Adrien out of their sight?” Ladybug thought aloud as she began pacing the rooftop. The only way the girls would be evacuated is if the danger was close enough to disrupt filming. “That’s it!” Ladybug shouted, while jumping up. Her exclamation and her movements caught the eye of the akuma, but that was just as she needed it to be. 

“Well well, look who decided to join the fight. Are you ready for a blast of sadness Ladybug?” The akuma taunted after a purple butterfly mask appeared over its face. Hawkmoth knew she was around and wouldn’t let the akuma leave her alone anytime soon. Perfect. She grabbed her yo-yo and swung down to meet the akuma on the street. 

“I prefer to look on the bright side of things, akuma!” 

“My name is Tristessnelle, and with me around, Paris will never be happy again!” Tristessnelle screamed, followed by something that could only be described as an evil laugh. 

Ladybug felt a slight shiver go down her spine as she landed near the villain. “If you want to take away my happiness, and my miraculous, you’ll have to catch me first!” she took off at a full run down the street, knowing without having to look that the supervillain was following her. 

\----------------------------------------------------

This was really bad. There was an akuma wreaking havoc on Paris and Adrien was sitting on a bench surrounded by a beautiful rose bush sipping champagne with a girl he honestly felt nothing for. It’s not that Mathilde wasn’t a nice girl, it was just that she was so quiet, Adrien felt like he had to do all of the talking. That was especially annoying when all he really wanted to do was escape, transform, and help his lady out in battle. 

The only thing keeping Adrien seated was the fact that one of the producers near him was following the akuma attack and was giving the surrounding crew updates on what was happening. So far, Ladybug had made it to the scene and was quickly moving through Paris, with the akuma following her. According to the Ladyblog, the akuma was about 3 blocks away from the mansion. Thank God for Alya Césaire and her ability to stay on top of a story. Adrien couldn’t figure out what Ladybug was doing, having the akuma chase her through the city, but he trusted that she knew what she was doing. 

Adrien decided to end the “conversation” with Mathilde and walked her back to the main area. Instead of finding another girl to talk to though, he took one of his allotted breaks and slipped in with the producer and his crew that were following the attack. He watched as Ladybug skillfully avoided the akuma’s beams, but didn’t engage in combat. _What is she doing?_ Adrien wondered. Plagg was watching too, but he seemed to understand more of what was happening than he did. 

“Okay, the akuma is about a block away now. I think we should move everyone to a safe place. We don’t need any lawsuits because of silly akuma attack.” 

Adrien was moving before he had even finished talking. He strutted into the main area where almost all of the girls were sitting. He absentmindedly scanned the faces, trying to see who was missing, while he addressed the girls. “Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I need to inform you that there is an akuma attack going on and it is dangerously close to the mansion. For those of you that don’t know, an akuma is a villain that is controlled by the supervillain, Hawkmoth. Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of it, so there is no reason to worry. I need you to make your way to the bedrooms on the lower floors and lock the doors and windows. We will let you know when it is safe to come out.” 

There was a slight panic that went through the girls at his words, but no one screamed or burst into tears, so Adrien counted it as a win. Lucie was the first one to move, the other girls quickly following. He knew that Lucie virtually lived in Paris because of boarding school when she was growing up and was glad to see that she could keep focused during an event like this. 

Once all of the girls had rushed out of the room, he ran to a bathroom looking for a window. On his third try, he found one with a window just large enough for him to slip out. Plagg zoomed out his pocket as he was locking the door. 

“Do we _have_ to go? I’d much rather talk with some more the girls.” Plagg whined as he looked at Adrien pleadingly. 

“Sorry, Plagg, the love of my life needs me,” Adrien responded as he propped the window open. 

At that Plagg rolled his eyes and managed a dramatic sigh before Adrien’s cry of “Claws out!” dragged him into the miraculous.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ladybug was almost on top of the mansion when Chat Noir was able to join her.

“Miss me, Bugaboo?” Chat asked her as he joined her on the street. They were standing side by side, facing the akuma and Ladybug felt braver, stronger, and more capable of handling this akuma with him next to her. 

She gave him a confident smile before responding with an, “Of course, Kitty. I brought the party to you, didn’t you notice?” 

“Oh, that’s what you were doing.” Chat whispered under his breath. Ladybug cocked her head at him and he recovered by responding, “So, what do we have here?” Chat said loud enough for Ladybug and the akuma to hear. 

The akuma gave a creepy grin and walked towards the two superheroes with his hands outstretched in a grand welcoming gesture. “Chat Noir, so glad you could join me. You know what they say, misery loves company!” 

Chat shot Ladybug a confused look and she quickly explained, “His beams make people feel sad. From our run through town I learned that he got stood up on a date and was really upset about it. So now he wants all of Paris to be miserable like him.” 

“Ah, gotcha. Where’s the akuma hiding?” 

“In the rose in his hand,” Ladybug replied with a smirk. 

“Of course it’s a rose. I just can’t seem to escape them,” Chat responded bitterly. 

“Sorry kitty, can’t help you there,” Just then, Tristessnelle shot one of his beams at the two and Ladybug had to flip out of the way. Mid-flip, she shot out her yo-yo and swung towards the top of the mansion, landing gracefully on her feet. Worry suddenly dropped into the pit of her stomach. When Chat landed next to her, she quickly asked, “Where did you put the girls?” 

“In the downstairs bedrooms. Let’s try to keep the him away from them, okay? There’s already too much emotion in this mansion without him interfering.” 

Ladybug let out a laugh and nodded. “You’ve got that right.” 

The akuma landed on the mansion rooftop and started shooting at the pair. Ladybug swung her yo-yo to make a shield, protecting both herself and Chat. “Can you distract our sad little friend, while I see what luck may bring?” 

Chat shot her one of his Cheshire grins, “Whatever you need, milady.” He flipped out of the protection of her yo-yo and started calling out to Tristessnelle. Ladybug quickly called for her Lucky Charm and got a pair of gardening shears. She couldn’t see a use for it from the top of the mansion, but she held onto them and joined Chat in the fight. 

“Gardening shears?” Chat asked as she landed next to him. “If you wanted me to cut you some flowers, all you had to do was ask,” He joked, shooting Ladybug a wink. She felt herself flush, but then an idea popped into her head. 

“Chat! You’re a genius!” She reached over, kissed his cheek, and whispered in his ear, “Push him on my signal,” She then called out to Tristessnelle. “Hey! Blueberry!” Tristessnelle was furious and turned towards Ladybug, turning his back completely on Chat. She swung away towards the seating area where all of the girls had been sitting to talk with Adrien. She remembered somebody saying that there was a bunch of rose bushes right near them. Thankfully, nothing on the set had been touched and there were no crew members around to interfere with her plan. 

She landed gracefully on top of the rose bushes, knowing that the akuma would eventually follow. Her earrings beeped once, meaning she had less than 4 minutes to finish off this akuma. Once she had stepped to where Tristessnelle could see her as he looked over the roof at her, she called out to Chat, “Now!” The villain fell, none to gracefully towards the bushes and landed with a crunch. 

“See, when you play with roses, you have to deal with the thorns.” Chat smirked as he landed next to Ladybug. He plucked the rose out of Tristessnelle’s hand. “For you, milady.” 

“Awe, Chat you shouldn’t have,” she responded with mock sweetness. She used her gardening shears to cut through the rose and release the akuma. She quickly caught the now loose purple akuma with her yo-yo and with a “Bye-bye little butterfly,” released a pure white butterfly into the night sky. 

Chat was helping the akuma victim out of the rose bush. Her earring gave another beep, and she picked up the gardening shears and threw them into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” The magical ladybugs fixed all of the damage from the akuma, including all of the scratches from the roses on the victim. 

She looked at Chat and he gave her a slight nod. They shared their signature fist-bump as the akuma victim shuddered a little bit from the chill of the night air. 

“Hey, dude, let me take you home.” Chat said kindly as he walked towards the man and got directions to his house. He gave Ladybug one more glance back that made her heart flutter before he used his baton to take him and the victim into the night.

\----------------------------------------------------

When Adrien arrived back at the house, they producers were just going around and knocking on doors. He was immediately rushed into a room and was told that the rose ceremony had to start in 15 minutes in order to keep the time schedule. Chris was telling all of the girls now and they were getting them into position.

He was faced with a poster board of picture cards and was told to eliminate 4 girls. Grateful that his fight with Ladybug had cleared his head and allowed him to feel more confident about some of his choices. He began moving girls around and once he thought he was done, one of the producers, Mark, came and checked what he had done. 

“Camille has to stay,” He said as he switched her to the “Stays” side towards the end of the rose ceremony list. 

“What? Why?” 

“Because she is in your father’s Top 10. If his Top 10 don’t become the Top 10, then all deals about breaking up in 6 months is off the table.” He said this so matter-of-factly and with no care towards his opinions that he had to double check that it wasn’t actually his father muttering these words. 

“He can’t control my opinions and my decisions on the show like that.” 

“Actually, he can, as he is the one paying for the whole thing. So, sorry to burst your bubble, but your opinions don’t matter here and your father’s top choice will win. That’s just how this works.” 

“So, I’m not going to get to choose my future wife at all? It’s all up to my father?” 

Mark nodded and walked off, leaving Adrien staring dumbfounded at the poster board. 

Adrien was so appalled he couldn’t even speak. He randomly switched another girl to the “Goes Home” side and stormed out of the room. It took everything in his power not to punch a hole in a wall. 

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way, kid.” Plagg said as he flew out of Adrien’s suit pocket. 

“How did you find out?” 

“I heard Natalie on the phone with Gabriel right before the show started filming. He was talking about how he had his Top 10 and his winner already picked out as they were the ones who would benefit the company the best overall with your proposal.” 

“Do you know who the winner is supposed to be?” 

“Yeah,” Plagg had the decency to sound upset about this fact. 

“Just, don’t tell me just yet. I don’t need to hate a girl because she’s Father’s favorite.” 

“Whatever you want, kid.” Plagg flew back into his jacket as Adrien was called forward for the rose ceremony. 

Mini-Natalie gave him a list of the names and told him he had 5 minutes to memorize them. He began working on it accepting that this was going to have to do. With a pasted-on model smile, he walked out to where the girls were waiting and began passing out the roses.

\----------------------------------------------------

Something was bothering Adrien, and it annoyed Marinette that she couldn’t ask him about it. He had on a fake smile and was passing out the roses like he was a robot. Marinette was paying attention enough to notice that Lila, Gabrielle, and Hanna were some of the first five to receive roses. Marinette didn’t zone back in until there was one rose remaining and Hanna, who happened to be standing beside her, was shaking. Hanna had a rose, but Juliette didn’t and Marinette was suddenly worried that she would lose one of her friends tonight after only a week.

There was a dramatic pause as Chris Harrison stepped forward and announced, “Ladies, Adrien, this is the final rose tonight.” Marinette instinctively grabbed Hanna’s hand as she waited for Adrien to speak. He reached down, grabbed the rose, and scanned the crowd of girls before calling out, “Juliette,” Both Marinette and Hanna sighed in relief as Juliette made her way to Adrien. 

“Juliette, will you accept this rose?” 

“Yes, I will,” she gave him a hug and joined the rest of the group as Chris stepped back out to address the girls. 

“I’m sorry ladies, but if you did not receive a rose, please take a minute to say your goodbyes.” Instant chatter was heard as everyone began doting on the girls going home. Marinette counted four, and noticed with a start that Mathilde was one of them. She found her in the crowd and gave her a slight hug. 

Victoria stepped up and called each girl going home one by one to allow them to say goodbye to Adrien. He still wasn’t acting like himself, but Marinette seemed to be the only one to notice. 

They ended the night with a toast, which Gabrielle gave for the group, and were quickly sent off to bed. Marinette made sure to give Hanna and Juliette a quick hug good night before running off to her room, which she now slept in alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The akuma's name: it’s a combination of “tristesse” which means “sadness” and “éternelle” which means “eternal” AKA eternal sadness.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I want to publicly thank everyone for reading! You're comments and kudos seriously make my day and your support means the world to me, especially since this is my first fic! I love each and every one of you and I hope you enjoy!

Chat Noir had barely set foot on the rooftop when Ladybug burst out with, “Okay, what is wrong with you?” 

He blanched a little at her forwardness. “Ummm, hello to you too.” 

“Yeah, yeah whatever. What’s bothering you?” 

“How do you know anything could be bothering me, I just got here.” He tried to make his tone light but the stress he had been feeling since the Rose Ceremony peeked through in his response. 

“Because, at the Rose Ceremony, you...” Ladybug paused, as if searching for the words. She was moving her hands in this adorable way, like she was able to grab the word she was looking for out of the air and pull it into her sentence. Finally, she said with a huff, “You were acting odd. Like something serious was bothering you. More distant than you had been at the cocktail party.” 

Chat inwardly cursed himself. He thought that his model smile and a solemn voice would have been enough to convince everyone, his father, the producers, and the girls, that everything was okay. He should have expected that Ladybug would have known better. 

“I’m sorry.” He said, having a seat on the edge of the rooftop. “I found out some frustrating news right before we started filming and I tried my best to hide it.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ladybug, now seated next to him, asked as she placed her hand on his knee. “Anything you tell me won’t leave this rooftop, I promise.” 

Chat paused, wishing he could talk to Plagg about this. Plagg had known the whole time and he had also gotten a glance at the “Top 10 List” whereas Adrien had not. The only problem was, since Chat was transformed, Plagg was currently inside the suit. Chat would have to detransform in order to talk to him. Even though he knew that Ladybug knew that Chat was Adrien, it was still a weird thing to consider doing. In the end, Chat decided that the moral support (if that’s what you could call an annoying cat who liked to tease Adrien) that Plagg could provide would be nice right now. 

“Claws in.” Adrien felt the rush of magic and faintly saw the green light glow from him as he reached his hand out to catch Plagg in his descent. 

“You rang?” Plagg asked in a lazy drawl, glancing up towards Adrien. Adrien couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his kwami’s extra-ness. 

“Yes, you lazy cat. Just listen to my side of the story, and feel free to correct it or add on.” Adrien then made eye contact with Ladybug whose expression grew worried the longer Adrien looked at her. Plagg, the flirty kitty that he was, jumped up when he saw Ladybug and flew to her side. That, at least, made her smile faintly as she let him land in her palm. She began scratching him, almost absentmindedly, but her eyes rested on Adrien. 

“For this to make sense, let me explain something. Before the Rose Ceremony, they pull me to a room in the house and force me to sort through which girls are staying and which are leaving on a big poster board. I was there on Saturday night after the akuma, and I was sorting the girls based on the dates and what I had learned about each girl this past week.” Ladybug was nodding slightly, giving Adrien the impression that she understood what he was saying, so he continued. 

“I had decided that” Adrien hesitated ever so slightly, suddenly terrified that Ladybug could be Camille, or even one of her friends, “one girl should go home. A producer came up and told me that I wasn’t allowed to do that.” Adrien gulped, the frustration and anger he felt last night rushing back to him. “ _Apparently_ my father has a ‘Top 10 List’ of girls that are allowed to continue on the show.” 

Ladybug let out a little gasp. “Have you seen the list?” 

“No, but Plagg has.” 

Both pairs of eyes fell on the black cat. He gave a small sigh before agreeing. “Yes, I’ve seen the list. But before you ask, I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of you to know who’s on it.” He crossed his arms and gave a little “hmph” like that was the last of the conversation. 

Ladybug, however, didn’t think so. “Does Gabriel have a winner picked out or is it just like a list of names and any of these girls could win and it would be okay?” 

“It’s almost set-up like a bracket,” was all Plagg said in response. Adrien didn’t fully understand what that meant and was glad to see that Ladybug was as equally confused. Plagg gave a shake of his head before explaining more. “In sports, a bracket allows two teams to be paired up continuously until there is one winner. The way your Pops has it set up is where he chooses which girls will be eliminated and which girls will move on each week. In the end, he only has one left.” 

“And you’re not going to tell me who the ‘Chosen One’ of Gabriel’s is?” Ladybug asked. She didn’t look particularly bothered by all of this. All of her questions were curiosity based it seemed rather than out of anger, like his were. 

“Nope. Not a chance.” 

“Am I on it?” Adrien almost jumped. How could Plagg _possibly_ know who Ladybug is! It’s not like the list had “Ladybug” listed as one of the contestants. 

“If you are who I think you are, yes, you just don’t want to know where you place.” 

Adrien felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head. “Wait, you think you know who she is?!” 

Ladybug shot him a smile that he knew meant trouble. “What? You don’t know yet? Don’t even have an inkling?” Her voice was filled with fake-sweetness, and Adrien was thinking of something snappy to say in return when Plagg beat him to it. 

“Oh, he doesn’t have an actual clue. Whereas I thought it was obvious.” Plagg was snickering and Ladybug let out a giggle as well. It was so cute he almost forgot to be upset. Almost. 

“I’m just taking my time. I want to make sure I’m right before I make any guesses.” That only caused the two to laugh a little harder. Adrien rolled his eyes and decided to change the topic. 

“Doesn’t it bother you though? That my father is making these decisions, not me?” 

That sobered the two up very quickly. Ladybug was the first to speak. “Oh, Kitty, you don’t know how mad that makes me.”

“Well you didn’t seem mad,” he mumbled, even though he knew it made him sound about 8-years-old. 

Ladybug, however, just gave a soft smile and reached to rest her hand gently on Adrien’s. “I’m broken-hearted for you and frustrated at this whole problem you’ve been presented and most of all, I’m upset that you’re upset about all of this. The only difference is, I’m not mad at _you_.” Her hand moved affectionately towards his cheek and rested there. It took everything in him to not melt into the touch. “You aren’t to blame here, so why would I get angry here? Gabriel, however, better be worried. The next time I see him, he’s getting a yo-yo to the face.” 

At that, Adrien laughed. His heart fell a little bit more for Ladybug after her speech. He felt lighter, somehow, now that someone else understood his problem. She slowly removed her hand from his cheek, and as soon as it was gone, he craved her touch, almost like it was something that he needed to survive. 

“All right, Chaton, enough slacking. We have a city to patrol.” She handed Plagg back to Adrien and he could have sworn there was a slight groan coming from the creature. Clearly, Adrien wasn’t the only one not wanting to leave Ladybug’s touch. He gave a small smile and called for his transformation.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ladybug was so distracted by what Adrien had told her, that she almost forgot to deliver Alya’s letter to her. She quickly swung by her house, slipped the letter into the mailbox, and sped off into the night. A few minutes later, she landed gracefully on the balcony to her room of the mansion and stepped inside as she detransformed. She collapsed on the bed, Tikki right next to her, and just stared at the ceiling.

“I can’t believe his father would do something like that to him.” Marinette started, letting some of the anger she felt come through for the first time. She didn’t want to worry Adrien, but she was _pissed_ that Gabriel was so controlling and cold-hearted to do this to his own son. “He has to control every aspect of Adrien’s life leading up to this and he gives Adrien the illusion of decision-making when in reality, Gabriel is holding his strings, like he is this toy instead of his son.”

“You’re not wrong, Marinette,” Tikki started but Marinette wasn’t listening. 

“Adrien is an adult. An actual adult who can live on his own and pay taxes and buy alcohol to drown his father out, yet he decides to be the good son who stays and follows his father’s dream for his life. And how does Gabriel repay him? By forcing him to participate in this insane advertising campaign and choosing a fiancée for him without giving him a word in edgewise.” 

“Marinette, I hear you,” Tikki’s tone was growing more urgent as she flew into Marinette’s line of sight. “But soon, so will the rest of the house. Please, can you try to be angry quieter?” 

At her words, Marinette deflated slightly. She hadn’t even realized that she had been borderline shouting. Thankfully, there were only two other girls on this floor, since Mathilde was sent home. Marinette began to wonder if Mathilde had been on that list. Surely not if she was sent home, but the thought made Marinette wonder who was Gabriel’s favorite and why. It was those thoughts that followed her as she drifted off to sleep. 

When she woke up the next morning, she was tired. Running around Paris as Ladybug was just exhausting, especially when you had to wake up semi-early in order to have a new date card delivered. She rolled out of bed and somehow ended up with her teeth and hair brushed and presentable clothes on as she stumbled down the stairs towards the kitchen and the caffeine. 

She was greeted by an overly-excited-and-morning-person Hanna and a much calmer Juliette who was carrying two steaming mugs. Once Hanna had released Marinette from a hug, Juliette offered her the second mug, which smelled deliciously of coffee. 

“Juliette, will you marry me?” Marinette asked sleepily as she smelled the mug, which was definitely filled with coffee. 

Both Hanna and Juliette laughed as they led Marinette to the kitchen. One of the girls had woken up earlier and made pancakes for the house, and the two girls led Marinette towards the sustenance and sugar. Hanna and Juliette, who was slowly waking up, began chatting about the new date card and what the date could possibly be while Marinette ate. She let her eyes wander around the room and she suddenly saw all of the girls in a different light. 

It’s obvious that Gabriel would choose a suitor for Adrien that would greatly benefit the company. When looking at the girls, some still wiping sleep out of their eyes while others are applying their 4th layer of make-up, it was like Marinette was looking at them through a colored lens. Suddenly, they were statistics, connections, and girls who would complement Adrien on the red carpet. It suddenly made sense why a lot of these girls were here. A handful were models, like Lila and Sasha, some had connections to other fashion empires, like Lucie and Zoe, and yet others were just from prominent families that had a lot of money, like Kagami and Juliette (although Juliette did NOT act as snobby as some did, like Lila). 

Marinette was so wrapped up in discovering who Gabriel’s number one choice could possibly be, when she realized she was being pulled into the living area to wait for the date card by Juliette. She had enough sense to grab her coffee before following and taking a seat. The producers were asking questions about how everyone felt about last week and what they were feeling about this week. They called out all of the girls who didn’t get dates and asked them how they felt going into a new date week. The whole thing felt like a forced discussion group in school, except that instead of getting a grade, she was getting more “air time.” 

Finally, a knock came at the door. Constance was the one who popped up and grabbed the door first. She came in and stood before the other girls, the thick cardstock note in her hand and a sense of pride on her face. “I got a date card, ladies!” She announced to a squeal from the group. Marinette just sipped her coffee. 

“Kagami,” The quiet girl was sitting by herself and didn’t seem to acknowledge that her name was called at all. 

“Juliette,” who gave a little gasp next to Marinette when her name was called. Both Hanna and Marinette gave Juliette a little side-hug before Constance called the next girl. 

“Lily.” 

“Constance,” she gave a little dance when she said her own name, like she hadn’t seen it coming. 

“Sofia.” 

“Pauline.” 

“Sasha.” 

“Let’s get to the _point_.” As soon as the line was read, chatter broke out across the group. The producers had to pull the group together and ask a couple more questions, but Marinette didn’t care. She only spoke when she was asked a direct question, wanting to stay out of the orchestrated drama, and tried very hard to not get upset. _Just because you weren’t on the first date, doesn’t mean that you won’t get a date at all._

Tikki said almost the exact same thing to Marinette once she was back in her room. 

“I know I know, but still. I’m freaking Ladybug. I should get preferential treatment when it comes to dates.” 

“But, Marinette. No one knows you’re Ladybug. Not even Adrien. How can you get preferential treatment if no one knows who you are?” 

“Ugggg I hate it when you’re right.” Marinette dramatically flopped onto the bed, making Tikki giggle. “What am I supposed to do until tomorrow afternoon when the next date card comes?” 

“Make friends,” was all Marinette needed to hear.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ripping out a piece of her sketchpad, she jotted down every girl who was still in the competition. She was determined that this week, she would spend time with the different girls and follow Tikki’s advice. But, she was going to analyze the girls like Gabriel would, because Marinette wanted to know who was on the “Top 10 List” even if Plagg wouldn’t tell her. She figured that if she gathered enough information, she would accurately be able to predict who was going home this week. Then, she could propose her list to Plagg on Sunday and see what he thought.

Tikki was just happy Marinette was leaving her bedroom again. 

She decided to start with the girls who were going on the date tomorrow, since she wouldn’t have tomorrow to talk to them. Marinette curled hair, practiced make-up techniques (and got some practiced on her), painted nails, cooked food, and basically became the social butterfly she was in high school. By the end of the day, she was helping the girls leaving to organize outfits and pick out accessories with her artist eye. 

Thankfully, Marinette didn’t have to carry on much of a conversation. Once she got the girls talking about themselves, she was able to shut up and just listen. And of course, take notes. 

By lunch on Wednesday, Marinette had a lot of information to sift through. It was becoming easier to guess who Gabriel had picked to be his Top 10, and Marinette was beginning to doubt that she was one at all. Lucie seemed to be the most promising for Gabriel’s favorite. Her aunt owns a sizable fashion company that was popular in the U.S. The ties that she provided to the fashion industry would be huge for Gabriel. 

After Marinette finished eating with the girls, they were all brought into the “Date Card Room” as the girls had begun calling it. Hanna was the only one absent, as she was currently on her one-on-one with Adrien. (To say Hanna was excited when she found out yesterday would have been an understatement). Sasha was the one to grab the date card from the door, and Marinette’s stomach was twisted into knots. If she wasn’t on this date card, she wouldn’t get to see Adrien until Saturday night, and that would just be way too long to go without those dazzling green eyes in her life. 

“All right girls, I got the date card!” Sasha sang as she came into the room. Marinette felt like Sasha was taking extra-long to open the card. Marinette could feel her heart beating and was slightly terrified that everyone around her could as well. Thankfully, Juliette was sitting next to Marinette and she was squeezing Marinette’s hand reassuringly. Surely, she would say something if Marinette’s heartbeat was distracting. 

“Camille,” Sasha began and Marinette stilled, not wanting to miss a name. Everyone faded out of focus except for Sasha and the date card in her hand. 

“Ines.” 

“Alicia.” 

“Marinette.” She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Juliette gave her a squeeze and Marinette couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face. She was just so relieved that she would get to see Adrien tomorrow. 

In her excitement, Marinette missed the next few names, but tuned in to hear the last one. Sasha made a big deal out of pausing before reading, “Lila.” Marinette’s heart sank and she was not looking forward to having to spend quality time with Lila. At all. 

“Let’s _strike_ up our relationship,” Sasha read off before setting the date card down on the table. 

Marinette gave the three girls not going on a date hugs and some encouraging words before dashing off with Juliette to pick out something to wear and riddle out the date card. 

“He seems to like puns,” Juliette was saying as Marinette picked up an outfit and held it against her. “No, not that one, you want something dressier but also casual.” 

Marinette picked up a daisy yellow and white polka dotted sundress and held it up while she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It’s insane that all of the girls thought his puns were endearing. Marinette just couldn’t get over how annoying they were. Rarely were they legitimately funny, but most of the time, she found it more distracting than charming. 

“I think it may have something to do with bowling or playing something, based on the pun.” Marinette thought aloud. 

Juliette made a noise of agreement as she studied the dress Marinette held up. “That’s a good thought. All of these dates seem connected to Adrien’s life in some way. Like ours. We went on a fencing date because Adrien was a champion fencer while in high school and college.” Juliette was still a little bitter that Kagami had gotten the group date rose. Kagami’s family is known for their fencing and Kagami herself has been fencing since she was little and has the trophies to prove it. She completely wiped the floor with the other girls and Juliette was nursing some sore muscles and a sour heart because of it. 

“Oooh, I like it. But I feel like darker colors are more your style.” Juliette said eventually, referring to the dress Marinette still held. She turned and began flipping through Marinette’s closet, clearly looking for something that would fit the vision she had in her mind. She pulled out one dress and tossed it towards Marinette with a, “This is for the evening portion,” before diving back in. The scene was so familiar, she could have sworn that she was actually sitting inside of her room above the bakery, chatting with Alya about various things as Alya filed through her closet looking for an outfit for Marinette to wear. She had almost forgotten what it had felt like to have friends like this, just being in the house with so many girls. Marinette had been focusing on learning more about the girls, she forgot to just relax and enjoy the friendships themselves. 

“OMG, Marinette, you just HAVE to wear this tomorrow!” Juliette’s voice snapped Marinette out of her remembering as she pulled an off the shoulder black shirt out of the back of the closet. Marinette had hidden it because it was something she had made herself and she was strictly supposed to wear Gabriel fashions while on the show. She had packed it on impulse because it was one of her favorite designs and she thought it would be good inspiration in case she ever had trouble with a creative block while she was here. When she pointed this out to Juliette, she waved it away. 

“Just wear a pair of Gabriel jeans and shoes. No one will even notice, I promise.” 

Marinette was hesitant. She knew from some of Chat’s stories that Gabriel could be ruthless when it came to certain things. If someone asked, she could easily say it was one of Gabriel’s from a while back, one that wasn’t seen anymore. The only person who would know was Gabriel, and how much would he pay attention to her outfit specifically? 

Marinette half-heartedly agreed and was carried away by Juliette to brainstorm ideas for hair and possible date places with the other girls.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy quarantined Easter everyone! Here's another chapter to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead! Enjoy a fluffy chapter :)

The morning of the date Marinette woke up late. She was up late the night before hanging with the other girls and woke up with 15 minutes to look presentable and eat before rushing out the door onto the waiting van. The other girls were chatting excitedly while Marinette was just trying to remember if she applied deodorant and her make-up in the right spots. 

Once they got to wherever they were going, Marinette had forgotten all of her troubles this morning, and, after checking to make sure Tikki was with her, rushed off the bus with the other girls. They were stopped at what looked like an up-scale coffee shop, called “The Coffee Code.” Marinette had never heard of the coffee shop, and there were no street signs near that could help Marinette figure out where they were, which put her slightly on edge. 

They were lead inside by a producer and the place looked magical. There were TVs everywhere and different types of comfy looking chairs were spaced around everywhere. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought they were going to play video games. 

Adrien walked out towards the group from what looked like a kitchen. He was smiling and laughing with a man who wore a green shirt with suspenders over it, brown corduroy pants and black square glasses. Marinette’s heart stopped and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. He kept his hair shorter than when they were in high school but otherwise Max Kanté hadn’t changed much about his appearance. 

“Hello ladies. Today I have a super special date planned for you all. But before I tell you what it is, let me introduce my friend Max Kanté. He owns this coffee shop called “The Coffee Code.” Max serves coffee, just like any other coffee shop, but he also teaches people how to code computers and even fixes computers on his spare time.” Max gave the group a cheerful wave as Adrien continued, “The reason we are here is because once a month, Max has these legendary video game tournaments, each month a different game. 

“Today we are going to play a tournament of Ultimate Mecha Strike 3, one of my favorite games.” Marinette was floating on clouds. This was the best date she could have been put on. While Marinette was trying to calm her face so no one could see how excited she was, she noticed a lot of the other girls looked worried. _This is going to be a piece of cake_. 

“Now, I know some of you may not be well versed in video games, do not fear. Max has agreed to teach all of us some video game tips and tricks that will help you succeed in the upcoming tournament.” Adrien turned towards Max and allowed him to step forward. 

“First thing we are going to do is split up into two groups to go over basic video game techniques. Adrien is going to take one group and I’m going to take the other. Then, we will switch groups and teach different tips and tricks for Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 specifically.” Max pushed up his glasses while turning back towards Adrien. Adrien’s smile turned stiff as he shifted his gaze towards a producer, his eyes asking the question that his mouth couldn’t. 

“And cut! Very good boys,” a producer said as he stepped out from the shadows. “Now we are going to split you in half. This half, go with Adrien,” he pointed to the half that Marinette wasn’t in, “and this half will go with Max. After an hour we’ll switch and then the tournament will begin.” 

Marinette hung back as her group walked towards Max. She had Lucie, Ines and Camille in her group, while Zoe, Lila and Alicia walked towards Adrien. 

“Hey ladies, let’s go over here and get started,” she heard Adrien call to them as they walked to the other side of the shop. 

Max turned and addressed the girls. He scanned over them and did a double take when he saw Marinette. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng is that you?” Max asked with a grin. 

Marinette walked up and laughed, giving Max a hug. “Oh my gosh Max it’s been what? 4 years? You did well for yourself after high school. This place... it’s amazing Max. Everything you dreamed it would be.” She pulled him in close and whispered, “Please don’t say anything about my video game skills. I want to surprise them.” 

As she pulled away he gave her a small nod. “Well, Marinette looks like you’re about to learn all of the things I’ve been trying to teach you since middle school. Can’t run away now, can you?” Marinette laughed at that and joined the rest of her group in some chairs that had been placed in front of a TV. 

For the next half hour, Max explained exactly what it was like to control the character in the video game. He explained how to press all of the buttons and what the whole point of the video game was. The second half of their time with Max consisted of them taking turns controlling their own character in the game. By the end of their time, they understood what buttons to press and how to make the characters move, and Marinette noticed that the other girls looked more comfortable with the controller than they had in the beginning. 

Once their time was up, they switched instructors with Adrien’s group. They sat around another TV on the other side of the shop and focused on how to play Ultimate Mecha Strike 3. Adrien went over the general rules for about 20 minutes, and then they girls began playing practice rounds. 

“Wow, Marinette! You are doing an impressive job! You caught on really quickly.” Adrien praised her as she ran around the screen and played the computer-controlled character. Those characters were set to easy, so Marinette toned down her normal playing skills in order to not beat the characters too easily. She wanted to wow the group, and Adrien, with her video game playing skills. 

“Thanks! It just seems to make sense. It’s like I know exactly what needs to be done to defeat the characters. You’re a great teacher, Adrien,” she said with a smile. She thought that she had played the dumb girl bit up too much but Adrien laughed and leaned in close. 

“You seem to know what you’re doing more than the others. I can’t wait to see what you really play like when the tournament comes.” Marinette giggled and blushed, not having to look at the screen to defeat the character she was currently playing. He died with a hard kick in his gut from Marinette’s character and Adrien gave her a smile. 

A producer chose that moment to walk up to their group and announce, “Time’s up! The tournament will start in 5 minutes.” 

The producers had created a bracket, like what Plagg was talking about in her and Adrien’s conversation about Gabriel’s Top 10 List. Adrien was up against Ines first, and they both were shuffled to the TV and game system where every team would play. 

Adrien was good. Either that or Ines was very bad. Adrien destroyed her within the first 5 minutes of play, and that was with a “Best two out of three” rule. Ines giggled and walked away blushing, clearly not bothered by the fact that she had lost. 

Next went Zoe and Lucie. Both were actually really good competitors and their game lasted significantly longer. Lucie beat Zoe by just a little bit in the third round and Marinette was impressed with her gaming style. 

While Alicia and Camille were playing, both of them so terrible that it seemed like no one was ever going to win, Marinette caught up with Lucie and congratulated her on her win. 

“You did a really good job for someone who has never played video games before,” Marinette said with a smirk. 

Lucie had the decency to blush before she responded with, “Can I tell you the truth? This isn’t my first time playing the game.” She giggled and it was so pure and sweet that Marinette couldn’t help diving in. “You also seem to have some hidden skills,” Lucie pointed out. “Tell me, are you saving them so you can destroy Lila in the next game?” 

Marinette gave her a devious smile. “Why of course not! I’m not going to completely destroy her. I’m going to gently defeat her. I’m saving my destroying skills for Adrien.” 

Lucie laughed again. Marinette was struck by how easy it was to have a conversation with her. It was times like these that she would forget that she was competing for Adrien. She tried not to let the thought of the competition ruin this moment with a new friend. “So, tell me,” Marinette said as they began walking back towards the group. Alicia had won the first game and they were currently working on the second. “How did you learn to play like that?” 

Lucie gave Marinette a look. “I have three older brothers. The only way to hang out with them is to play video games. A lot of times, we would have a tournament to see who would have to do chores. After losing for a couple of years, I wised up and studied up on the game. Let’s just say, I haven’t washed the dishes in about 3 years.” Marinette was impressed and realized that if they had met in a different way, they might actually have been really good friends. 

“What about you? Got any mischievous siblings fueling your game play?” Lucie asked, snapping Marinette back to the present. Alicia had barely pulled off a win and it was about to be Marinette’s turn. 

“No, no siblings. Just a dad who loves to play.” At that, Marinette walked off and sat on a chair. She held her hand out for the controller and smiled as Lila sat down with a look of disgust. Marinette leaned towards her, “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you to make you look better.” 

Lila rolled her eyes and scoffed, “I don’t need your help. I’m going to win all on my own.” 

Marinette didn’t respond, but was nice enough to shake Lila’s hand when she beat her after two rounds of Lila getting pummeled. Adrien and Lucie were to face off, then Alicia and Marinette. Adrien barely beat Lucie after she destroyed him in the first game. Marinette could have beat Alicia with her eyes closed, but was nicer to her on the screen than she was to Lila. Eventually it ended up being Adrien versus Marinette. Lucie and Max were cheering for Marinette, while the rest of the girls were rooting for Adrien. 

Adrien shook Marinette’s hand before the game started, “Good luck, Marinette.” He said with a twinkle in his eyes that was so Chat Noir like that Marinette almost swooned. “You’re going to need it. I’m very good in case you didn’t notice.” 

“Save your luck, Adrien. I have all the skills I need to defeat you.” Marinette smiled innocently at him and he was a little taken back at her confidence. 

Finally, he let out a laugh, “Let’s see what you got.” 

Their game lasted 30 minutes. Both were very good players who clearly knew the game and its tricks very well. Marinette won the first round, but Adrien snuck up on her and won the second. The last round they spent the most time on. In the end, Marinette defeated Adrien with a “Marinette Style!” shout and move her dad liked to use on her to win. 

Lucie and Max cheered, while the other girls, specifically Lila, rushed to Adrien to console him. Lucie ran up to Marinette and gave her a hug, “Wow Marinette that was amazing! I could tell you were good but that was impressive playing!” 

“Thanks!” Marinette was beaming. She accepted a little trophy from Max and was about to be pulled away to an interview about the tournament and her win when Adrien grabbed her by the arm. 

“Marinette, can I steal you for a second?” Marinette looked to the producers for confirmation, and when they nodded, Marinette did the same. 

Adrien led Marinette off to the side, away from the other girls and shot a dazzling smile. She wasn’t worried about how he would take the loss, knowing that her Kitty would find the joy in the game rather than sadness at losing. “Thank you for a well-played game, Marinette. I honestly didn’t think you could beat me, but you did. Your confidence is beautiful on you.” 

Marinette blushed and leaned forward, itching to kiss him, touch him, anything, but knowing it needed to be his move. “Thank _you_ for being a worthy opponent. We’ll have to play again sometime without the audience.” 

Adrien smiled. “Wow dinner and a video game? Those are some big promises.” 

Marinette smiled back at him. It was insane how much she loved this man. “You should know that I never break my promises.” Adrien grabbed her hand and brought it up to his face. He leaned forward like he was going to kiss her hand, in another very Chat like action, but he instead grabbed the trophy from her and ran. 

“Hey!” Marinette called as she chased after him. They wound around sets and crew members, and even a couple of girls and, with the help of her Ladybug speed, finally caught up with him before he reached the boys bathroom, where he knew she couldn’t follow. She dove for him and they ended up on the ground, Marinette straddling his hips with her knees and her arms pinning his to the ground. “I think you have something of mine,” she told him with a smile. She was barely out of breath but her heart quickened all the same. 

He gave her one of his Chat Noir grins (Man, he was just full of Chat moves today) when he asked, “What are you going to do about it?” 

Without thinking, she leaned down and kissed him. It wasn’t a very long kiss, but it was enough to speed her heart up even more and send a wonderful tingling down her spine. When they broke apart, Adrien was smiling and she knew that she was too. She stood up and offered him a hand, which he took. 

“I was hoping you’d do that,” Adrien whispered as they began walking back to the group, hand in hand. They had made it to the van where the girls were waiting for her to return. 

“Well next time, don’t run, and maybe it’ll be less work.” She took a chance and shot Adrien a wink, which had him laughing. She loved his laugh and would do anything to keep that laughter going. As he was laughing, she slipped to his other side and grabbed the trophy from him. She slipped on the van, and though there were no windows, she imagined him standing there, watching the van drive away with a grin on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait everyone! This week has been super eventful! As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

When the van pulled up in front of a hotel, Marinette was excited. She couldn’t wait to see Adrien again and just have a chance to talk to him. As all of the girls climbed off, Marinette noticed something odd about where they were. Sure, there was the normal camera crew and everything, but something felt off about it. Marinette’s Ladybug experience helped her sense the danger, and she could pretty much pinpoint where all of the tension was coming from. 

There was a man, tall and blonde that was almost silver, standing next to one of the main producers. He was wearing red pants and a white suit jacket. Marinette couldn’t see anything else of him, but she felt the need to stand up straighter and not talk while around him. 

The group of girls were led to an open-air room that was organized with couches in the shape of a U with a coffee table in the middle. The color scheme tonight was all whites and blues, matching the logo of the hotel. Marinette ended up sitting on the very edge of the U, closest to the exit, which would make it easier to steal Adrien away. After a couple of minutes, Adrien walked in wearing a white suit of his own with a gold shirt that made him look more like an angel than a man. Marinette had to prevent herself from swooning. 

“Evening ladies,” Adrien addressed them with a smile, though it seemed more tense than usual. “I don’t know about you, but I had a wonderful time today, watching you all learn and participate in something that I love to do. I’m excited to talk with all of you more tonight.” He raised his glass slightly and went to take a drink. Marinette noticed a slight shake in his hand that she was sure only she could see. The room was silent and Marinette considered stealing him solely to break the silence when Zoe stood up and did it instead. 

“Adrien, can I steal you for a second?” Adrien smiled, though a strained one, and gestured for her to take his arm before they walked away. As soon as Adrien left the area, the girls began chatting. They had learned that sitting in silence during these times were boring and made the night seem even longer. The producers liked it when the conversation stemmed around Adrien, but there wasn’t much to talk about this early in the evening. Marinette went to set her drink down and was turning toward the ongoing conversation when—

“Excuse me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Marinette started and looked up at the source of the voice. A nervous-looking producer was standing right behind her shoulder. He had leaned in enough to where no one else could hear what he was saying. Marinette herself had to strain her ears to understand his words. “Can you come with me for a moment?” Marinette didn’t speak but nodded and stood up, following the man down a hallway. 

She had assumed she was needed for an interview, but why this producer was being so secretive, Marinette couldn’t figure out. They kept walking until they were almost out of the hotel. Right before the exit, the producer turned left and headed towards, according to the signs, where the indoor pool was located. 

They stepped into the pool room, and sitting at a table in the corner was the man with the red pants and white suit coat. He stood to greet them as they approached. The producer deposited Marinette and then ran out of the room, not too subtly. 

“Good evening, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Please have a seat.” 

Marinette was on-edge. She itched to transform and have the confidence and reputation that Ladybug has. There was something about that voice that was oddly familiar, but it was too cold to be who she was thinking of. She did, however, do as she was told and sat down on the chair across from where he was sitting. She was facing the door out of the pool area and when the man sat back down she finally got a good look at his face. 

It was Gabriel Agreste. 

She recognized his voice because she had watched every interview he’s ever given. She was obsessed with his work and dreamed of interning and working at the Gabriel headquarters. She had never heard him speak so sternly before. He sounded angry, but controlled and it was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Finally, she found her voice. 

“Mr. Agreste. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

He looked at her with an impassive face. It made her wonder if he ever smiled, which gave her a jolt of fear for Adrien’s home-life. “So, you know who I am.” 

“Yes sir, I’m a big fan of your work.” 

“Well, I find that very interesting.” 

Marinette frowned slightly and asked, curiosity getting the better of her manners, “What’s interesting about that?” 

He stared at her for a beat and she felt the need to speak again. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m confused. Is this about Adrien?” 

Mr. Agreste continued to stare and it felt as though his eyes could see everything inside her mind. She wondered what he was thinking, but decided to sit quietly until he spoke again. 

“No, this isn’t about Adrien. It’s about you, Miss Dupain-Cheng.” At that, he pulled out a file that wasn’t too thick. She absentmindedly wondered where he had been keeping it, but focused instead on the file and what Mr. Agreste was going to say next. 

“What I have here, is a file that I have compiled on you. You have participated in a handful of my design competitions before and even won a few. You aspire to be a designer and are currently studying design in university, correct?” Marinette nodded, not daring to speak again. “Very good. Now, in reviewing your application for this show, I noticed many things that would have automatically eliminated you from the running. No one can explain why you are here, exactly.” 

Mr. Agreste paused at that, almost as though he expected her to say something. Marinette was more confused now than when she started and after a beat, he continued. 

“Now, I don’t mind you being in the competition. I even had you ranked in my Top 10 List, for your interest in design alone.” Marinette tried to act more surprised than she actually was. Though she was making a mental note to congratulate Plagg on his guessing skills. “But, due to current circumstances, things are going to have to change.” 

Marinette couldn’t help herself as she spoke up again, “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t think I understand.” 

Mr. Agreste gave a smile that would have curdled cheese. “No, I don’t suspect you would. This is about the ‘video game date’ you went on earlier today with my son.” He spit the words out like they pained him. “I was reviewing the tapes and noticed that you were wearing a shirt that is not one from my brand.” 

Marinette felt her heartbeat speed up and her palms grew extremely sweaty. It suddenly came back to her. The conversation with Juliette the night before the date, the pressure from her to wear the shirt anyway. Marinette had forgotten with her running late this morning and had just put on the clothes she had laid out. 

Marinette forced herself to stay calm and keep a straight face. She felt an angry swarm of butterflies swim around in her stomach, and she didn’t see how this man could be capable of love. All of those horrible stories that Chat had told her about his father suddenly made sense. _Don’t let him break you,_ Marinette told herself as she took a deep breath in. _Adrien needs me_. If she showed weakness, she would fail her _Chaton_. Adrien needed her to brave his father, so that way he could too. 

She looked Mr. Agreste straight in the eye and without seeming too hateful, explained. “I’m sorry, sir, but I woke up late this morning. I rushed out of the mansion trying not to get left behind by the van and the other girls. I threw on the first shirt and pair of jeans that I grabbed and ran out of the room. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t a Gabriel shirt until you said something just now.” 

She paused and watched his eyes narrow, as if trying to see through her story to the truth. Apparently, he believed her. “Very well, but that does not explain why you brought a non-Gabriel shirt with you in the first place.” 

Marinette smiled a little, actually having a whole-truthful answer to that question. “I brought it along for inspiration. I was allowed to bring my sketchbook with me, and all of the different personalities and different beautiful places that we’ve gone with Adrien, I wanted to be able to design and not stop my creativity. I brought that shirt along because it was one of my favorites that I designed and I like to examine it when I come across a creativity block.” 

Mr. Agreste seemed to accept her answer but the look he gave her was still cold. “I believe you, Miss Dupain-Cheng. But, you need to know that this explanation doesn’t change anything about my opinion of you. You will still be removed from my Top 10 List and if it were up to me, you’d be removed from the show tonight. No one, not even an up-and-coming designer like yourself can be allowed to wear non-Gabriel clothing on this show. Adrien will be hearing about my opinion and what you did today promptly.” Mr. Agreste stood from his chair and gestured for Marinette to do the same. She stood and smoothed down her skirt, which had not taken very well to the salt in the air from the pool. “I suggest you head back to the girls now. Adrien should be giving away the next rose shortly, and the group may notice that you’ve been missing for all of this time.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Agreste.” Marinette’s heart dropped a little at having missed her time with Adrien, but she walked away from Gabriel Agreste with her head held high and with a confident stride. She couldn’t let him see how much that bothered her. 

She walked briskly back to the meeting area, remembering the way thanks to her Ladybug skills. She could feel Tikki shaking, in what she assumed was anger, as she walked and tried not to let any emotion show. There were no cameras in that room and no cameras currently in the hallways. She assumed that if Gabriel didn’t want the viewers to know about this conversation, then she wasn’t going to say anything either.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was frustrated. This part of the date was only supposed to be 2 hours long tonight, and yet Adrien was stalling. He had talked with every single girl from the date except for Marinette. Every time he walked into the room where the girls were sat, she wasn’t there. Finally, he asked a producer, and they told him that she had been snagged for an interview and would be back soon. Apparently “soon” meant “never.”

Adrien huffed angrily out of the corner where he was sulking. First his Father shows up and begins changing things about the filming. Then, he demands Adrien wears a different suit because the one he originally picked out wasn’t “nice enough.” Then, the producers force him to actually drink alcohol to convince his dad that he’s doing so at every date. And now Marinette is missing. This night just couldn’t get any worse. All he wanted to do was go back to the hotel and end this whole evening with sleep.

“Adrien.” A quietly stern voice that used to make Adrien flinch spoke behind him. He turned, knowing full-well that he would be looking at his father. He seemed to be slightly content with himself and that scared Adrien more than anything else. 

“Yes, Father?” 

“When you get finished handing out your rose, and the girls leave, please come and talk to me here.” Gabriel pointed to where they were standing, which was just outside of the production crew’s set-up. 

Adrien bowed his head and deflated, knowing that sleep wouldn’t be coming any time soon tonight. “Yes, Father,” Adrien tried not to let the disappointment color his voice. 

“Very good. The girls are all waiting for you now.” Instead of responding, Adrien turned and wandered towards where the girls were seated. He rounded the corner, and noticed that all of the girls were indeed waiting, including Marinette. He tried to catch her eye, see how she was feeling, but she wouldn’t look up at him. 

“Hello again, ladies.” Adrien smiled at them his best model smile. It felt like a fake smile, but all he cared about was whether the girls could see his hands shaking or not. “Tonight was wonderful, and I’ve loved being able to grow all of our relationships further through our conversations.” _Did that even make sense?_ Adrien looked down at his hands and took a breath to hopefully help steady them. 

“That being said...” Adrien paused as he reached down and grabbed the rose off of the table. He froze for a moment, not remembering who he had said he would pick. Finally, one of the producers caught his eye and mouthed a name. Adrien turned toward the girl sitting two to his left, “Lila, will you accept this rose?” 

Her face lit up and she shot him a seductive look that made him sweat a little. “Of course, Adrien.” She took the rose from him as he stood to meet her. She gave him a hug that lasted longer than it should have, but Adrien barely even noticed. 

He turned and addressed the other girls, “So, I guess I’ll see all of you at the cocktail party tomorrow night.” All of the girls nodded and smiled and Adrien froze once again before awkwardly walking away. He hid behind a corner and watched as the girls began chatting and standing up. Almost all of the girls congratulated Lila, but Lucie was the only one to address Marinette and ask the question he’d needed to hear. 

“Marinette, what happened to you? One minute you’re being pulled away by a producer and then almost two hours later you show back up. Did you get sick or something?” 

Adrien could just see Marinette give Lucie a ghost of a smile. “Or something like that.” 

The girls walked out of hearing range before anything else could be said. 

Once their van had pulled out, Adrien slowly made his way back to that corner, where his Father was waiting for him. As soon as he stepped into view, Gabriel began tapping his toe in impatience while staring at his tablet. 

“How did it go?” Gabriel asked, not even bothering to look up from his tablet. 

“It went fine.” 

“Great. How are you enjoying the filming of the show?” 

“It’s been fun, I guess.” 

“Have you kissed any of them yet?” 

Adrien blanched. “I’m sorry, what?” 

Gabriel looked at Adrien then. His look was one almost like a joking parent, taking joy in their child’s uncomfortableness. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re embarrassed.” 

“I--I’m not. I’ve kissed a few of them. Almost half at this point I think.” 

“Very good. Now I want you to know that your well-being and progress on this show is not the only reason that I’ve come to visit today.” Adrien knew that, and it was this ulterior motive that made him nervous. “I have a problem with one of your girls, Adrien.” 

Adrien was put-off by his Father’s boldness, but was too curious as to who and what to say anything. 

“It has come to my attention that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is not here for the right reasons.” 

Adrien’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean that she’s not here ‘for the right reasons?’” 

Gabriel gave Adrien a level look before turning the tablet around. On it, was a resume, of sorts, with Marinette’s name on it. “It appears that she is only interested in the company and your connection to it,” Gabriel flicked through the pictures of Marinette wearing different outfits as he spoke. “She has participated in many of my design competitions, and even won a few. Most recently, she has applied herself to be an intern at Gabriel after she graduates university next Spring.” 

Adrien was still in too much shock to say anything, but Gabriel wasn’t finished. 

“It has come to our attention that she has actually entered the competition to win both yours and my approval to boost herself in the fashion industry.” 

Adrien thought back on every interaction that he has had with Marinette. Granted, there hadn’t been many, but every one of them was sweet and fun and _real_. Adrien was having trouble believing that every one of them had been a lie. 

“Father, what you’re saying can’t be true.” 

“But it is. I request that you send her home. Tomorrow night. In front of everyone. The other girls need to see what happens to people who try to use the Agreste name to get ahead without my permission.” 

“Father, I respect that opinion, but I really feel as though that is my decision to make.” 

“But it is one you will make.” At that, Gabriel turned on his heel and walked out of the hotel.

\----------------------------------------------------

“Plagg, what in the world am I going to do?” Adrien was pacing his hotel room and pulling on his hair. He hadn’t showered yet, so the product in his hair made it stand up straighter and he was beginning to look a little disheveled.

“Why can’t you just talk to her?” 

“Because she’s at the mansion and I’m here, Plagg.” Adrien said, just barely holding back the “duh” at the end of the sentence. 

“Aren’t you the most important person on the show? Can’t you just make requests to talk with a girl whenever you want? If you want to clear the air, go tell a producer and have them pick her up and get her butt over here.” 

Adrien was halfway out the door before he realized he couldn’t do it. He plopped down on his bed with a sigh. “I probably have that power, Plagg, but if Father hears about me talking with her privately, he’ll think I sent her home, or cleared up the air without any witnesses. He wants this big show, and as much as I know I’m not going to do that, I have to make it at least slightly believable, or who knows what he’ll do. After I talk with Marinette we can come up with a game plan and I’ll know what I need to do.” 

Plagg seemed to think about that for a moment before he gave Adrien a pat on the knee. “You’re right kid. But when are you going to talk to her?” 

“Tomorrow.” Adrien said confidently. “I’m going to grab her right before the cocktail party starts so that way no one can record it.” 

Adrien heard Plagg chuckle and looked over at him, bewildered. “What?” 

“You’re going to ‘grab’ her, huh?” Plagg asked with a mischievous grin. 

Adrien blushed and pushed Plagg off the bed, though his snickering continued.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Today is my BiRtHdAy which means I decided to gift you all with a new chapter! I hope you enjoy the present :)

Adrien was slightly nervous as he got ready for the cocktail party. The producers had been kind enough to allow Adrien to sleep in, and he was feeling more refreshed than he had in many weeks. Still, as he buttoned up his shirt and pulled out his suit jacket, he couldn’t help but feel as though he had actually gotten no sleep. Plagg was even kind of nervous, as he kept mumbling into his cheese and darting out of the room before coming back in a couple of seconds later. 

As soon as he woke up, he contacted Mini-Natalie and told her that he wanted to arrive at the cocktail party 30 minutes early. She gave him a questioning look, but did as he asked. By the time Mini-Natalie showed up to escort him to the mansion, he was feeling sick and had gone through a thousand possible ways tonight could go. He worked very hard to keep his hands still and sipped out of a water bottle on the way. 

After what felt like an eternity, Adrien was standing outside of the mansion’s back porch, where he would wait to enter until all of the girls were situated in a living room and he could come in and make a speech before talking to the girls one by one. He took this time by himself to breathe and to resist the urge to stressfully run his fingers through his recently styled hair. 

He walked a little bit into the mansion and grabbed the first producer he saw and tasked her with finding Marinette. “You can’t let anyone know though, please? Not even one of the other girls. It’s something I’m not ready to share on camera yet.” The producer smiled kindly at him and briskly walked deeper into the house. A couple of minutes later, she returned with a confused looking Marinette in tow. 

She looked stunning. She was wearing a dress that shined, even in the regular lighting of the back porch. The top was solely made of jewels in intricate patterns and hugged her neckline tightly. There were no sleeves on the dress and if he wasn’t mistaken, the jewels were sewn on a clear fabric, where the coloring that shined through was solely her skin, which complemented the jewels very well. The skirt was a cream color and it flowed out from her waist, making her curves stand out. When she breathed, he could see the top separating from the skirt, clearly a two-piece dress, showing off her well-toned abs. Adrien forgot how to breathe and only remembered how to after Plagg elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Good evening Marinette. You look amazing tonight.” 

Marinette gave a slight blush, but there wasn’t a smile on her face and it didn’t feel right. “What’s all this about Adrien?” Marinette asked, not meeting Adrien’s eyes and clearly nervous. 

Adrien sighed and shook his head, clearing out the slightly inappropriate thoughts he was thinking about Marinette out. He had called this meeting for a reason. “Marinette, I needed to talk with you without the prying eyes of the cameras and possibly the other girls around.” Adrien paused, reminding himself of what he was going to say before he charged ahead in his speech. “My Father came and talked with me after the date last night and I felt as though what he told me needed to be addressed with you before any decisions were made.” 

Marinette looked up at him then and the fire in her eyes almost made him step back. “Whatever your father said about me, I promise I have an explanation.” 

“Then I’m going to ask you my questions and I want only the truth from you. If we want to build our relationship, we have to do so on honesty and trust.” Adrien paused before continuing, trying to remember exactly what his father said about Marinette the night before.

“Marinette, why did you come on this show?” Adrien watched as she hesitated to answer. A small warning light went off inside his head. If she hesitated, then she most likely was lying. 

“There was something about you. Something that made me want to get to know you better. I’ve had a crush on you before, from your modeling and such, and I wanted to see if you and I could make a relationship work. I wanted to find out if it was possible that you could like me too. I signed up to get to your heart, Adrien.” A smile had grown on her face and her expression softened as she talked. If she was lying, she was very good at it. 

“You’re into fashion, right?” 

“Yes. I’m studying it at University and it’s been a passion of mine for a while.” 

“Did you come on the show to get into good graces with my father’s company?” 

Marinette blanched a little at Adrien’s question. Adrien wanted to take the words back, but he couldn’t since he needed an answer. “Wha- I’d- No! Adrien, I didn’t come here to get close to your father, I came here to get close to you!” She had tears in her eyes now and Adrien had the urge to pull her into a hug and wipe the tears away as they fell. Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s true that I applied to be one of your father’s interns, but that was months ago! Weeks before I applied to be on this show. I’ve admired Gabriel’s clothing lines for years, but I’d never use you to get to him. You don’t deserve to be a pawn like that.” 

Adrien looked into Marinette’s eyes, really looked and saw that she was telling the truth. The look in her blue eyes gave him a sense of calm and reassured him, like when he was talking with Ladybug. The sensation was so real, he began to wonder if maybe Marinette was Ladybug. He wanted to ask her right then and had opened his mouth to do so when, “What happened last night at the date?” came out instead. Adrien was a little shocked at the question, but he wanted to hear the answer all the same. 

“The truth?” Marinette asked, her gaze not wavering this time. 

“The truth, please.” 

Marinette sighed before she began. She told him about being whisked away by a producer, walked all throughout the hotel, and finally ending up in the indoor pool room. She told him how Gabriel was waiting there, how he told her about the unauthorized shirt, and how he would have kicked her out then if he could. She even mentioned how she had explained that it was an accident putting it on in the morning in a rush. As she spoke, Adrien’s frustration at his father began to boil anew. 

“Wait. You mean to tell me that he talked to you for 2 hours about how you wore a non-Gabriel shirt to a date by accident?” Adrien clarified. 

“Yeah. I assumed that was what you were talking about.” Adrien’s face must have shown her there was more, because after a beat she asked, “Why, what did he tell you?”

“He told me that you weren’t here for the right reasons. That you were here to boost yourself in the fashion industry and that you didn’t care about me.” 

Marinette’s jaw dropped and she quickly responded, “Oh, Adrien that’s not true, I promise! I... I was going to tell you this later tonight in our time together, but I’m really starting to care for you. I’m definitely crushing, hard.” The blush began to return on Marinette’s cheeks and Adrien felt his heartbeat speed up. 

“So, you’re not here for the wrong reasons?” Adrien asked, allowing some of his hopeful tone to show through. 

“I promise I’m here for you and only you, Adrien.” 

“Thank you for being honest with me, Marinette. You can go back and join the others. I’ll talk with you tonight and you can tell me whatever you were planning on telling me for the cameras.” He paused, suddenly remembering his father and his want for Adrien to get Marinette off the show. “I need to warn you though. My father... he’s a tough man. I like to think that he has my best interests at heart. Just know, if you stay on the show, it’s not going to be easy. For either of us.” 

Marinette stepped closer to Adrien and he instinctively pulled his hands out of his pockets to grab hers. “If you’re willing to keep me here, I’m willing to fight for you.” She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and walking back into the house. 

Adrien watched her go with a smile. Plagg flew out of Adrien’s suit jacket and watched as well. 

“Well that conversation went pretty well. Do you believe her?” 

“Absolutely,” Adrien said, a little dreamily. Plagg gagged a little before flying back into his pocket. 

“If it accounts for anything,” Plagg said, a little quieter this time and with no sarcasm, “I believe her too.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette went straight for the bar and served herself a shot of tequila when no one was looking. She was technically only allowed two drinks during the cocktail party, but tonight, Marinette was going to need all that she could. With the haunting knowledge that her new fight was going to have to be with Gabriel Agreste, she needed something to get her through the night.

She made her first “official” drink, and took it into the living room. She was one of the last to arrive, as the producer had snagged her while they were giving instructions for the night. She searched the girls and found Hanna and Juliette waving at her, where they had saved her a spot. When she sat down, she knew they would have questions. 

“What did they need you for Marinette?” Hanna asked, leaning closely so where only their group could hear. 

“They wanted to interview me about not having time with Adrien at the date yesterday.” The lie coming easily. She figured as she was walking back that this would be the most convincing thing to tell anyone who asked. 

After they had gotten back last night, Lucie made a big deal about Marinette needing to get checked out by the doctors. They had cleared her, of course, with a perfect bill of health, but word had gotten around quickly. Lila, of course, was unsympathetic that Marinette didn’t get any time, whereas Lucie, Juliette, and Hanna, had made it their goal to get Marinette time with him tonight. 

“Oh, that makes sense,” Hanna said as she leaned back. She had opened her mouth to say something, when a hush fell over the room. Mere seconds after the quiet hit, Adrien walked in, smiling. 

“Good evening, ladies. I’ve had a wonderful week with all of you and I’m so honored to have been able to get to know all of you a little better. Cheers for deeper conversations tonight and growing relationships.” All of the girls raised their glasses and took a sip. After Adrien had lowered his glass, Gabrielle virtually leaped towards him and stole him away. Adrien led her away from the group as they all began chattering. 

“Desperate is not a good look for Gabrielle,” Lila said with a sneer, loud enough for the whole group to hear. Zoe looked like she was about to throw down, but Lucie had her hand on her shoulder to stop her. Marinette understood why Gabrielle was desperate to talk: she didn’t have a date this week and needed that time. 

“Lila, leave her alone. You’re just being a jerk because you already have a rose tonight.” Marinette shocked herself a little as the words poured out of her mouth. Clearly that shot of tequila was doing something to her. 

“Oh, like you have room to talk.” Lila shot back with a satisfied smile on her face. 

“What are you even talking about?” Marinette asked, not keeping the annoyance from her voice. 

“Oh, rumor has it you signed up for this show to further your fashion career, not to win Adrien’s heart.” Marinette blanched, shocked at how this was the second time that night that she was accused of this. 

All 16 pairs of eyes stared at her waiting for some kind of explanation. She calmed herself and looked directly at Lila, ignoring everyone else. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t know how you are capable of seeing my reasoning for doing anything.” Marinette replied, with thinly concealed hatred. 

Lila didn’t move but her smile was pure evil, like a cat going in for the kill of a mouse. “Then why did you have a 2-hour conversation last night with Gabriel Agreste? I heard that he walked away from the talk with a file that included a resume and various designs you have made in the past.” 

Marinette was speechless. The only people who knew about her conversation with Gabriel was Gabriel, herself, and now Adrien. How did Lila know these things? 

Before Marinette could defend herself, chatter began around the room. “She _was_ missing all night.” “Now that I think of it, I didn’t see Gabriel at all after we arrived.” “She is constantly sketching and playing with her designs, it only makes sense she’d want to do this for herself.” 

“I promise, that wasn’t at all what happened. I’m not here to promote myself or doing anything with the Gabriel brand. All I want to do is get closer to Adrien—” 

“So you can have a way into the company? It’s obvious, Marinette. How could Gabriel not hire someone his son dated recently. It was a good plan, but if you aren’t here for Adrien you shouldn’t be here at all.” Lila stood gracefully and left the room, slowly followed by a pack of girls. Marinette stood up as well and went in the opposite direction. She needed to talk to Tikki and figure out what was going to happen. She was just about to lock herself in a bathroom when...

“Marinette! Wait up!” It was Hanna and Juliette. They stopped her and both grabbed her in a hug. 

“Is it true Marinette?” Hanna asked, not breaking from the hug. 

“In a way. I did talk with Gabriel yesterday during the date but not as an interview.” Both girls pulled away to look at Marinette as she explained. “Juliette, you remember that shirt that I wore to the morning part of the date?” Juliette nodded. “I told you it was a shirt that I had designed and made, and Gabriel saw the footage and confronted me about it during the date. He told me he was going to encourage Adrien to kick me out tonight and that I had made a poor decision and what not.” 

“Oh, Marinette I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have encouraged you to wear it.” Juliette said, as she buried her face in her hands, tears glistening in her eyes. 

“Juliette it is not your fault.” Marinette grabbed her hands and forced her to look at her. “I was the one who put the shirt on yesterday morning. I was the one who brought a nice shirt I had designed in the first place. I don’t mind making an enemy of Gabriel, I just need you both to understand,” Marinette let go of one of Juliette’s to grab one of Hanna’s, “I am here for Adrien. Only for Adrien. I have never considered this to be a way to get to the company. I’m here for love, because I really feel like I could love Adrien.” 

Juliette was nodding at Marinette, tears still rolling down her face. Hanna’s face, however, looked contemplative. “How did Lila know?” 

“I’ve been wondering that myself. How come I feel like she always knows more than the rest of us.” Marinette responded. “But that doesn’t matter for now. I’m just glad you guys believe me,” Marinette paused, almost afraid to ask the question. “You do believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course we believe you, Marinette!” Hanna reassured her. 

“We’ve seen the look on your face when you talk about Adrien. It’s clear you’re here for him and only him.” Juliette added. 

Marinette blushed slightly at that, but then pulled the two girls back into a hug. “Thank you so much. I’m so glad I have friends like you.” 

They stayed like that for a minute before they pulled away. “Juliette and I are going to go around and explain to the girls what really happened. They’re more likely to listen to us. You just need to focus on getting time with Adrien. Sooner or later, someone is going to say something to him and you need to be the one to clear the air.” Juliette nodded. The girls shared one more hug before splitting up to complete their missions.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was on her third drink and it was solely Lila’s fault. She had spent the last hour and a half trying to talk to Adrien, but every time she went to interrupt, someone beat her to it. She was at least thankful that she had already cleared the air with Adrien, but it still frustrated her that if this was the first time he was hearing about it, she wouldn’t be able to defend herself.

Luckily for her, Adrien ended up seeking her out instead. She was sulking in the main living room sipping her third drink and watching Lila laugh and shoot eyes at her, when Adrien walked into the room. All of the girls sat up straighter and fluffed their hair or did something to acknowledge his presence. Adrien, however, only had eyes for Marinette at the moment. 

“Marinette, can I steal you for a second?” Adrien asked, he smiled kindly, but his eyes worried. Marinette nodded and allowed him to lead her away from Lila and her knowing looks. 

They sat down near the back of the house on some patio furniture that had been set up for Adrien and the girls. Marinette had opened her mouth to speak, when Adrien beat her to it. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. You disappeared last night on the date and I was worried about you.” He grabbed her hand and gave her a look that said, “play along I have an idea.” 

Marinette nodded shyly and gave a small smile. “I’m so sorry about that. I... got pulled away for an interview and was kept for much longer than I expected.” 

“Interesting,” Adrien said, holding her gaze steady. “I want to be honest with you, Marinette because I really like you and if this is going to continue between us, then it needs to be addressed now.” Adrien paused for a moment and Marinette prepared herself to tell the complete and honest truth like she did earlier. “I’ve had some of the girls tonight express their concern about the reasons that you are on this show. Now I know you like fashion, right?” 

Marinette nodded as she responded, “Yes, I’m actually studying to be a fashion designer, like your father.” 

Adrien gave her an encouraging smile as he continued, “That’s really wonderful. If you can design clothes like you can put together outfits at a fashion show, then I’m sure you’re amazing.” Marinette blushed slightly at his words. “With that being said, I want to ask you a question, and I need you to answer me honestly.” 

“I will always be honest with you, Adrien,” Marinette responded with a smile. They were holding hands now and his fingers were playing with the rings on her hands. She was suddenly aware of the silver ring on his right hand, which had to be his miraculous. She had never really looked at it before, but then again, until recently she had never seen it de-transformed. 

“Why did you come onto the show? Did it have anything to do with my Father and his work?” 

Marinette took a deep breath before answering. She had been preparing what to say, knowing that Adrien believed her, but that the cameras may not. “Adrien, I can honestly say no, I did not. I came onto this show because you interested me. When I was younger, like 14, I had this huge crush on this boy who I only saw in magazines. He was gorgeous, strong, sensible, and all of these other things I imagined. I had pictures of him plastered all over my walls. As I grew up, I realized that what I was in love with was a poster, an image of a boy who I had never met. I pushed the love to the side and even focused on other boys, ones that I interacted with in real life. But, I never forgot about him, and my heart always jumped a little whenever I saw his picture on a billboard, or a new magazine cover. When I heard about this show I thought it was crazy. I ignored it. Then, I heard about who the Bachelor would be, and I allowed myself to open that box again, remember all of the wonderful things I had envisioned in my head that this boy was like. I signed up for this show because I wanted to get to know the boy behind the picture. I wanted to see if that model that I had crushed on in middle school was anything like that in real life. I wanted a chance to live this out and see if he could feel anything for me.” 

Marinette paused after her speech and watched Adrien. His eyes were wide and it almost looked like he was going to cry. She had told almost the whole truth, simply leaving out anything involving Chat in this process. But, she hoped it would be enough to convince everyone that she really was here for Adrien. 

Adrien cleared his throat a little before responding. “Wow, Marinette. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry I ever doubted you.” He was looking at her so sincerely that she knew he wasn’t just playing for the cameras. 

“Adrien, I’m really falling for you, hard, and I just need you to know that I would never use you like that in any sort of way.” 

“Thank you, Marinette.” He had gotten closer to her, so much so she could see the different shades of green in his eyes, and see how wide his pupils were blown. “I really appreciate you telling me that, and I need you to know that I’m starting to have feelings for you as well.” He leaned in a fraction of a centimeter more and Marinette closed the rest of the distance between their lips. The kiss wasn’t very heated, but it spoke volumes about how they were each feeling. They broke apart, and Marinette just wanted to stay there in his arms forever. 

Sadly, the time had come for them to part. A producer walked up and cleared his throat, letting Adrien know that it was time for him to decide who was getting roses tonight. He leaned over and gave Marinette one more kiss and whispered a quick, “We’ll talk right before I leave tonight so please stick around,” before he got up and followed the producer away.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette wasn’t nervous about this rose ceremony, but she was a little jittery to be around all of the other girls again. As they waited for Adrien to decide, she grabbed Hanna and Juliette for an update on how the night went. They were able to convince about 10 of the girls that Marinette was innocent, but it was mostly girls like Sasha, Lucie, and Alice, who had had conversations with Marinette before and found it hard to believe that she would do something like that.

When they lined the girls up for the rose ceremony, it was obvious who was for Marinette and who was for Lila. Lila’s crew constantly gave Marinette looks and looked huffy and annoyed at her still being here. Marinette felt pretty confident that a rose was coming, but was still anxious for the end of the night. 

It wasn’t long before Adrien walked into the room. He smiled at them all before beginning. “Thank you, ladies, for a great night. I appreciate our conversations tonight and how honest you all were with me.” Marinette wasn’t for sure, but it seemed as though Adrien had shot a look at Lila, and some of the others that had supported her. “I’m very grateful that you guys have opened yourselves up to me and I am so excited for this group moving forward. I knew being the Bachelor wasn’t going to be easy, and the decisions I made tonight I didn’t make lightly.” Adrien bowed his head and reached for the first rose. 

“Lily,” Adrien began and Lily parted through the crowd to walk up to him. “Lily, will you accept this rose?” Lily whispered something while nodding and gave Adrien a hug before walking back to her spot. 

It continued for what felt like forever. One by one, Adrien called them up to get a rose: Constance, Zoe, Lucie, Marie, Camille. Marinette was hyper-aware of the fact that the cameras were constantly circling her and Lila, she knew that she was the one everyone was holding their breath to see if she would get a rose. 

Alice, Sasha, Gabrielle, Juliette. Marinette smiled slightly when Juliette’s name was called. Chris Harrison stepped out of the shadows and addressed them. “Ladies, Adrien, this is the final rose tonight.” He turned to Adrien and placed his hand on his shoulder, “When you’re ready.” Then he disappeared back into the shadows. 

Marinette was nervous. Everyone was looking at her, the camera wouldn’t leave her face and there was one rose left. She stared at a spot right next to Adrien, because she didn’t want to look at him and ruin the moment. 

Finally, Adrien picked up the rose, twisted it in his hand and said, “Marinette.” She almost fell over and heard some murmurs from the other girls as she walked towards Adrien and her rose. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” Marinette smiled, the relief clear in her face and responded, “Always.” She gave him a hug and felt him whisper in her ear, his face hidden in her hair, “Please don’t forget to see me afterwards.” She gave a minute nod before rejoining her spot with the other girls. 

Chris had reappeared and was looking at the group, scanning for the girls without roses. “Ladies, I’m sorry. If you did not receive a rose tonight, please take a moment to say your goodbyes.” Alicia, Sofia, Ines, and Pauline were going home. Everyone was hugging and crying and being kind to the girls, but Marinette took a step away. All four of those girls sided with Lila earlier against Marinette. It must have been a coincidence, but Marinette knew that the last person they wanted to say goodbye to was her. 

Clearly that wasn’t true. Victoria, one of the main producers, stepped forward to call each girl up to say their goodbyes. Alicia, Ines, and Pauline went quietly, but Sofia was a little more upset. As her name was called, she walked up to Adrien and slapped him. It was audible, and caused all of the remaining girls to gasp. Adrien seemed more taken aback then hurt by the hit. 

“This is because of her, isn’t it?” Sofia asked angrily. The other girls looked around, equally confused and none of the producers had stepped in to stop her, not yet at least. “This is because I told you that she isn’t here for the right reasons. YOU GAVE HER A ROSE INSTEAD OF ME!” She screamed. 

Adrien tried to calm her, “Sofia, I promise it had nothing to do with Marinette. We just didn’t have a very strong connection—” 

At that, she raised her hand for another hit, and the producers decided that was the best time to intervene. As they carried her out, she screamed some more, but this time it was aimed at the remaining girls. “Be careful what you say about his favorites! If you say the wrong thing, you get kicked out!” Once she was dragged out of the room, the silence left behind reverberated. 

The remaining girls were quickly ushered out of the room, but Marinette lagged, just slightly. She made eye contact with Adrien from across the room and he jerked his head to the left, indicating that she should follow. They ended up in a corner where they were hidden from the production crew as they tore down their equipment for the night. 

“Oh my gosh, Adrien are you okay?” Marinette asked as she examined his face. There was definitely a mark forming and it made her heart contract. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Not the worst hit I’ve gotten.” Adrien replied nonchalantly. Marinette almost forgot to be shocked at that, considering she had seen almost all of those hits (a certain cataclysm incident with Chloe’s friend Sabrina comes to mind) but of course, she wasn’t supposed to know that. 

“Okay, well anyway, what did you want to talk about?” Marinette asked, quickly changing the subject. 

“Oh right! I actually wanted to make sure that you were okay. I heard some horrible things from a bunch of the girls tonight. How did your conversation with my Father get out?” 

“I honestly don’t know. Lila’s the one who brought it up after Gabrielle went to talk with you tonight. I mean, she was there at the date, but how could she have known that that’s what I was doing?” Marinette was trying to remember that now was not a time to touch Adrien, even though she really wanted to reach out and grab his hands. 

“I’ll have to look into it.” Adrien said while shaking his head. “I have another thing I wanted to ask you though...” his voice trailed off and Marinette looked at him fully. “Did you mean those things you said? In front of the cameras?” He asked in a quiet voice. 

Marinette did grab his hands then, “Adrien, I told you that I would never lie to you. I meant every word I said. I... I was slightly embarrassed by my old crush on you that I hadn’t brought it up earlier. But as the night went along and I started hearing more and more stuff from the other girls, I really felt as though you needed to know. Plus, I hoped it would sell the crew and maybe the future viewers of my innocence. But I promise it was all true.” She could feel the slight blush on her cheeks and was grateful that it was kind of dark in their little corner. 

“Thank you. It—It made my night.” He said quietly. He then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. She didn’t want him to leave, but knew it needed to be done. As he lowered her hand and began to walk away, a large crash and scream were heard from right outside of the mansion. 

Marinette turned towards the sound and began to move. Adrien was already outside and she hoped he would be on his way to transforming as well. As she ducked into a bathroom, she heard a voice, much closer now yelling, “I am Malady and I need to find and destroy Marinette!” 

“Uh oh, another super-villain looking for you.” Tikki said worriedly as Marinette locked the door. 

“And I have a feeling I know who it is. Tikki, Spots On!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah man, I just love cliff hangers :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Please note that I started a new job (!!!) this past week, which means that I may not be able to post as often as I have during the previous weeks! I'm still going to try my hardest for an every week/every other week posting time though! Enjoy the new chapter!

Ladybug ran into Chat Noir as she was leaving the bathroom. 

“Did you see the—” Ladybug began but Chat cut her off with a crazy look in his eye. 

“Yes, do you know where she is?” 

“The akuma? She should be through the entrance if she hasn’t already made her way upstairs—” 

“No! Not the akuma! Marinette!” 

The conversation was brief and they were both running while talking, but Chat’s last comment made her skid to a stop. They were in the front entryway, which is where it seemed like Malady, the akuma, had entered. 

“Why are you looking for Marinette?” Ladybug asked, trying to keep her voice level. 

Chat looked flustered and his eyes were wild as he searched around the room and in the hallway where they had just come. “She was right here. I heard the akuma shout for her. I just need to make sure she’s safe.” 

Ladybug grabbed Chat by his shoulders and turned him around to where he was face to face with her. “Listen to me. You worrying about her is not going to help you fight this akuma. I know it’s scary when someone we care about is being targeted, but this isn’t the first time this has happened to Marinette. She is going to be okay. I need you to focus.” Chat seemed to relax and his breathing leveled out as she spoke. “I have an idea. You need to get everyone out of the house. I’m going to find Marinette and stash her away somewhere safe, okay?” She tightened her grip on Chat shoulders and he looked up into her eyes. They were clearer and he seemed more in control and she knew he was getting back to normal. She let go of Chat and grabbed her yo-yo, touching the center black dot, and out popped an earpiece which Ladybug slipped into her ear, “Stay in touch. If you see the akuma, you need to stay safe and let me know right away.” 

Chat had gotten his earpiece out of his baton and inserted it as well. “Same goes for you. Get Marinette out and come back fast.” Chat gently shook off Ladybug’s touch and ran up the stairs. Ladybug ran the opposite direction, hoping that Chat wouldn’t look back to see where she was going. She bolted out the back door where she had had a talk with Adrien mere hours before, although at this point it felt like a lifetime ago. 

She ran a lap around the house, trying to see if she could spot the akuma. The only thing she noticed was some sort of green statues, scattered around the area. Producers, camera crews, even one of the “Mansion Moms” all turned green and frozen. “That must be what she does. She freezes people with something,” Ladybug whispered aloud. She touched the communicator in her ear and said louder, “Chat I don’t know how but she freezes people. I’m finding a lot of green statues.” 

“I see some too. I think she’s been through here already.” Chat’s voice came through her communicator. “I found most of the girls huddled on the top floor. I’m moving them out a window now.” 

Ladybug released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Most of the girls were safe. She was almost tempted to ask which ones, but knew that naming them would take longer, and it was more important to get them all to safety. 

“I’ve got Marinette at a secure location.” Ladybug responded, hoping enough time had passed that it would seem believable. “I’m headed back your way now.” 

The quiet put Ladybug on edge. She didn’t have eyes on the akuma, and from what Chat said he didn’t either. So, where was she? 

Another scream came from the back of the house, near where Marinette’s bedroom was and Ladybug rushed over. The girls were sliding down Marinette’s balcony on Chat’s baton, but the akuma was standing on the roof, laughing. 

“Well done street rat. You found all of the girls for me.” The akuma, Malady, cackled. She had the same body shape as Sofia, and her hair was just as red as it was before, but it seemed that the red had bled onto the rest of her body. Her skin was the color of blood and the dress she wore, shorter than the one Sofia had worn to the cocktail party, were different shades of green, ranging from lime green to a forest green. She almost looked like Christmas if it wasn’t all so terrifying. The thing that caught Ladybug’s eye though, was a shape like a long-rifled gun in her right hand, which was also green and red. Malady was flipping it around in her hand with all the confidence in the world. 

While she was laughing, Chat had moved all of the girls to the base of the mansion, and they had begun to run. When Malady looked back down, she screamed, only finding Chat and Ladybug. Ladybug began spinning her yo-yo like a shield, protecting her and Chat. 

“Who wants to bet that the akuma is in that gun looking thing?” Chat said with a slight smile on his face. Clearly knowing that everyone had been moved to safety brought back the normal Chat-the one who joked during battles. 

“I’m not a betting woman, but I’d venture that you’re right.” Ladybug said with a smile of her own. 

“We need to lure her away from here—” 

“Already there, Kitty,” Ladybug said with a flick of her wrist. Malady had been shooting at the two of them with what looked like thorns? One had almost clipped Chat’s shoulder when Ladybug stood up and shouted, “Come on, Chat, Marinette is this way!” Then she turned and ran, knowing full-well that Chat would follow.

“So where are we going on our evening outing, milady?” Chat asked, keeping stride with her with ease. 

“I thought a romantic walk to the Eiffel tower would be nice, what do you think?” 

“I’ll follow you anywhere Bugaboo.” The look he gave her was so sweet she had to hit him to keep both him and herself concentrated. 

“Where did you actually hide, Marinette?” Chat whispered as they ran. Malady was several yards behind them, but Ladybug still worried about her voice carrying. 

“Later, Chat. I promise.” 

They arrived at the Eiffel Tower in minutes, Malady was hot on their heels. Ladybug bent over and pretended to catch her breath when Malady leaped in her line of sight. She brought out her yo-yo and created a shield again. 

“Where have you taken Marinette?” Malady asked. Her voice was more gravely than Sofia’s had been and she sounded ready to kill. “Is she up at the top of this pretty tower?” 

Ladybug had opened her mouth to speak, when Chat beat her to it. “You’ll never find her!” 

Malady began to laugh again, as a purple butterfly shape appeared over her face. She froze for a minute, listening, and Ladybug and Chat took that time to run towards the tower without being seen. 

“What’s the plan, milady?” Chat asked as they ran. 

“I’m working on it,” Ladybug replied through gritted teeth. It was too early to use her Lucky Charm, and she knew they would need to set up a trap, but that’s all the information she had and it wasn’t enough. 

They both looked back as they heard Malady scream again. Clearly, she had looked up from talking with Hawkmoth and had discovered that the two superheroes had ran. 

“I WILL HAVE YOUR MIRACULOUS FOR THIS!” She screamed in a way that sounded awfully like Sofia earlier. 

Chat made a noise of recognition. “That’s Sofia.” Chat breathed. 

“Yeah, I figured. She was looking for Marinette after that outburst earlier. It made sense.” 

“But why Malady? That’s an odd name.” 

Ladybug shot him a smile that was borderline evil. “You can ask her as you distract her for me.” 

Chat rolled his eyes and pouted, “Why is it always me?” She almost believed him, but the excitement in his voice let her know that he wasn’t actually upset. 

Ladybug leaned forward close enough to kiss him and flicked his bell. “Because I have all the luck.” With that, she ran to hide behind one of the pillars. 

Chat didn’t miss a beat and turned towards the oncoming akuma, baton outstretched. Ladybug heard the sounds of fighting and Chat yelling various things, but Ladybug wasn’t paying attention to the noise, but was focusing on how the akuma reacted. She noticed that the thorns (they had to be thorns) bounced off of various surfaces, including Chat’s baton. That was important information, but she couldn’t figure out how it was helpful. She steeled herself and quickly said, “Lucky Charm,” feeling her internal clock begin to countdown the minutes left in her transformation. 

She reached out and caught a wooden, polka dotted pizza peel from the sky. This particular one had a long handle, which would make it easier to manipulate. Ladybug turned her eyes back towards the fight, right when something happened. Chat was close enough to breathe on Malady and when he deflected the thorn with his baton, Malady screamed and backed up quickly. Ladybug didn’t fully understand what had happened, but Chat clearly had. He used his baton to push Malady back to the outskirts of the Eiffel Tower, almost knocking her in the Seine, before turning and running towards where she was hiding. 

“I’ve figured it out! I know how to defeat her.” He stopped right in front of her and began laughing. “What in the world is that?” 

“It’s a pizza peel.” 

“Oh! Those long things that the people in pizza parlors use to move the pizzas in the oven? It has a name?” 

“Of course it has a name!” Ladybug replied frustrated at his lack of focus. “What did you learn?” 

“I learned that her name is ‘Malady’ because a ‘malady is a disease of the body’ and she said that ‘a broken heart is a disease that affects everyone’ and that makes sense since Sofia is a nurse.” 

Ladybug couldn’t help but hit her head with her hand. “What did you learn about defeating the akuma?” 

“Oh right! She can’t get hit with her own thorns. The one I just deflected almost touched her and she backed up screaming, twisting to where it wouldn’t.” 

Suddenly the pizza peel in her hand made sense. She saw a bench near the road and Chat knew exactly what needed to be done. 

“Chat, lead her to that bench!” He looked at her and looked at the bench she was pointing at and she saw the recognition in his eyes. That’s what she loved about working with him, he knew what she was thinking without her having to say it aloud. 

“Understood, milady,” He said with a wink and rushed off to engage Malady in combat once more. She ran over towards the bench and used her yo-yo to balance the pizza peel on the top of the bench. She then jumped onto the banisters above the bench, positioned herself perfectly and waited, right as her earrings let out a beep. _Was this the first or second beep?_ It took less than a minute for Chat to move Malady towards the trap, and her time limit was quickly pushed out of her mind. 

“You have really good technique,” she heard Chat call out to Malady as he moved her even closer. “But you’re missing something important.” 

“Oh? And what is that?” Malady asked as she inched closer. She was near the spot she needed to be and Ladybug moved into position. 

“An amazingly beautiful teammate that always has a plan.” Chat called out with a smile. Malady laughed and took one step closer. The step that Ladybug needed. She jumped from the ceiling with a yell and landed right on the edge of the pizza peel. Malady turned and yelled in surprise, shooting towards Ladybug more on instinct. As the shot came towards Ladybug the flat part of the pizza peel shot up straight like a disconnected seesaw and Ladybug used the flat part to aim the thorn right for Malady. It all happened within seconds of Chat and Malady coming into view, and Malady never saw the thorn headed her way. She reached out a hand to stop it, but it was too late. She had been turned into one of her own green statues. 

Ladybug jumped off the bench and landed next to Chat. “Would you like to do the honors, milady?” 

Ladybug smiled and shook her head. “You know what, why don’t you do it? I never would have figured out my Lucky Charm if it wasn’t for you.” He looked slightly abashed at that, but gladly walked over towards the akuma and grabbed the gun from her hands. Now that she was looking at it, it looked more like a rose, with the flower being the tip where the thorns came out. Chat snapped it in half and Ladybug grabbed the akuma with her yo-yo before it could fly off. 

“Bye bye, little butterfly,” She said as it flew off. She grabbed the pizza peel and threw it into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” As the magical ladybugs fixed all of the damage, Ladybug watched as Malady was transformed back into Sofia. 

“What happened? Where am I?” 

Ladybug walked up towards her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “You were akumatized by Hawkmoth. But it’s okay, everything’s been restored.” Sofia bent down and picked up the once akumatized object. It was a rose, slightly wilting and looking very sad on the street. At the sight of it, Sofia broke down crying and Ladybug knelt down next to her. 

“What is it?” Ladybug asked, working to calm her down so she didn’t end up akumatized again. 

“It’s the rose Adrien gave to me last week on the show. I was packing up all of my stuff, since I got sent home, and I reached to grab the rose. I guess it had a hidden thorn, because it poked me and I started bleeding. I—I became so angry and upset about getting sent home and the fact that Adrien kept Marinette, I just started crying. Then a voice was talking to me and I woke up here.” 

Ladybug sat down next to her and pulled her a little closer. “It’s exactly those kind of feelings that Hawkmoth feeds off of. I’m very sorry that you got sent home, but I’m sure it wasn’t for the reason you think. Take it as a sign that Adrien wasn’t the one.” Sofia sniffled a little at that and clutched the rose a little tighter. “Hey, it’s okay to be sad about it. We just can’t let our negative emotions get the best of us.” Sofia looked up at Ladybug and she was able to see the girls she had befriended while in the house. “Think on the bright side, all of the boys are going to be fawning over you once the show airs.” Sofia let out a little giggle and Ladybug smiled. 

“Thank you, Ladybug.” Sofia said as Ladybug stood up and looked over at Chat. He smiled gently at her as her earrings began to beep again. 

“You’re about to transform back,” Chat said while looking at Sofia. “Can you take her back? I’m sure you know the way,” He said with a smirk. She had to resist rolling her eyes at him. But they had to be careful what was said in front of Sofia. 

“Yeah I can. Where are you going?” Ladybug asked as she reached down to help Sofia stand up. 

“I have to go get Marinette and let her know that everything is safe again. Where did you hide her?” Ladybug stumbled slightly, suddenly remembering that she had hidden “Marinette” somewhere and she needed to come up with a place fast. 

“Uhhhh she’s at her... parent’s house! Yes, I figured she’d be the safest there.” Ladybug said frantically. “Do you know where that is?” Ladybug asked, slightly hoping he would have forgotten. 

“No, I know the way. Always a pleasure, Bugaboo!” Chat called as he raced off towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

Ladybug tried to control her breathing as she picked up Sofia and swung through the rooftops. She deposited Sofia at the front door of the mansion, wished her a good night, and bolted. She made it home right as her Papa was letting Chat in through the bakery entrance. Marinette landed on the balcony right as her transformation wore off. 

“That was close!” Tikki said cheerfully as she came out of the suit. “Can we steal some cookies while we’re here?” 

“Not now Tikki. Right now, I need you to unlock the door so I can slip in my room and pretend I’ve been here the whole time.” 

“Right!” Tikki called as she phased through the door. The balcony door quickly opened, emitting Marinette and she rushed to turn the lights on right as her parents and Chat came through the trap door. 

“We would have known if she was here,” Her Maman was saying as the three of them climbed the stairs. She let out a little scream of delight when she saw Marinette and engulfed her in a hug. 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t come to say hi!” Marinette said as her Papa joined the hug too. “I just didn’t want to put you in danger of the akuma!” 

“Oh Marinette,” Sabine sighed, “it would have been nice to know you were here!” she cooed as she petted Marinette’s hair gently. 

“Chat Noir here nearly gave us a heart attack when he said that you were supposed to be here.” Tom added with a chuckle. “We are happy to see that you’re okay.” 

“I’m so happy to see you too.” Marinette responded, savoring the hug a little longer. She heard someone slightly clear their throat from behind their family hug, and they all broke apart to look at the source. Chat didn’t look uncomfortable, in fact, he seemed to enjoy watching the family moment. 

“I hate to break this up, but if I don’t get Marinette back soon, the rest of the house is going to worry.” 

Sabine sighed and gave Marinette one more hug. “He’s right. But promise you’ll come and visit soon?” 

“Hopefully not too soon. I need to stay in the competition a little longer.” Marinette laughed as she hugged her parents one more time, and exited the room through the balcony, Chat following closely behind. 

“You really are dedicated to this competition, aren’t you?” Chat asked as he shut the door behind them. Marinette had walked to the edge of the balcony and clung to the railing, Chat following behind. She had missed this view and this part of her city. 

Marinette turned to look at him. He didn’t know that she was Ladybug, nor did he know that she knew he was Adrien. He must have been trying to sound like an outsider, someone who wasn’t invested, but Marinette knew him too well. “I’m starting to like it there. Most of the girls are wonderful and they are such great friends. And the house is gorgeous—well you saw a small part of it tonight—and I really like going on the outings. It’s been a wonderful experience.” Marinette saw Chat shift slightly and she could see the frown on his face. She bit down on her smile so it wouldn’t show. 

“And the boy? Uh, Adrien. Do you like him?” Chat looked at her, eyes wide with wonder. 

“Now, why would I tell you about that?” Marinette teased. 

“Um—You don’t have to—there’s no reason—I’m just curious.” He stammered, turning his head away to where he couldn’t meet her eyes, a slight blush forming right underneath his mask. 

“Well as long as you’re just curious...” Marinette watched as Chat turned back to face her with a smile. 

“You know, cats and their curiosity.” He winked and it evoked a laugh out of Marinette. 

She sighed and began, letting her heart do the talking, “I really like him. He’s amazingly sweet and so kind and he has such a wonderful heart. When I’m with him, I feel like a better version of myself and I want him to never stop smiling because it’s beautiful and contagious. He’s the main thing keeping me on the show, because I don’t know if I can see my life without him anymore.” Marinette couldn’t stop once she started and she definitely didn’t mean to say all of that in front of Chat. He didn’t seem to mind though. That was like the third time she had spoken from her heart for Adrien that night. It must have been a new record. 

“That’s... wow Marinette. I’m glad you’re happy.” At that, he scooped Marinette up and used his baton to send them off into the air. 

The trip wasn’t long and although the wind blew cold, Chat’s arms were warm. She held on tight and didn’t let go until he touched down right outside of the mansion’s front door. 

“Thanks for the lift, Chat,” She said as he put her down. 

“Anytime, Princess,” a smile spread over his lips and he used his baton to send himself off, probably in the direction of his hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started this fic, I honestly didn't see any chance for any Marichat, but I managed to squeeze in a tiny bit for you all. :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I had my only day off for the next two weeks and decided to spend it writing for you all! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> PS: Not a lot of action in this chapter, but it sets up the next chapter really well (and the next one should be SUPER long to make up for it!)

Marinette didn’t surface until well into the afternoon. Between the akuma, the taxing cocktail party and the various amounts of alcohol she had consumed, Marinette was exhausted. She was roused by a gentle knock on her door as Hanna and Juliette slipped in. 

“Morning, Marinette!” Hanna said in her chirpy voice. They had brought Marinette some sandwiches, chips, and water and Hanna placed the plate on the bed, before sitting on the edge. 

“Well, it’s actually afternoon,” Juliette said with a small laugh, placing the glass of water she was holding on the side table. Marinette sat up and stretched, feeling the ache from the akuma attack in her muscles. 

“Well I had a long day yesterday, between the cocktail party and the akuma. So I think I deserve extra sleep,” Marinette said as she reached for a sandwich. 

“That was so scary what happened last night. We’re just so glad that you’re okay!” Hanna gushed and Juliette nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah the whole house is buzzing about how you got attacked. It’s almost like they forgot about all of the drama that Lila caused last night and are just worried about your well-being.” Juliette said as she took a chip off of the plate. 

Marinette playfully swatted Juliette’s hand away with a giggle. “That’s actually not the first time I’ve been targeted by an akuma. I’m kind of used to it now.” Both girls gaped at Marinette and she gave a small laugh before taking a bite of the sandwich. 

“What happened? How many have come after you? Have you ever gotten hurt? What’s it like to be chased by some super villain? Will you tell us about them?” Both girls began asking questions all at once. Marinette swallowed and couldn’t help but smile. Living in Paris, it’s easy to forget that not everyone has seen an akuma attack take place. Something that is just a part of Marinette’s life is something exciting and interesting to these two who are from other parts of France. 

Marinette, slightly excited to tell these stories for the first time, broke into a grin. “Do you want to hear the one about the akuma that was in love with me or the time that I angered the ice cream man? Or how about the time my Nona got akumatized and tried to turn me into coal?” 

Juliette and Hanna looked at each other with awed faces. They turned back to face Marinette and Hanna responded, “All of it!” All three girls broke into giggles and Marinette spent the rest of the afternoon retelling stories of all of the crazy akumas she’d seen, and even some cool fights with Ladybug and Chat Noir that she had “seen.” The girls laughed and ate and Marinette was suddenly struck with how much she honestly loved having these two girls as friends. 

By the time it had started to get dark out, the girls had moved into the kitchen for dinner. Almost every girl except for Lila came up and made sure that Marinette was okay after the akuma attack yesterday. She reassured everyone that she was fine, and as 8 o’clock ticked closer, excused herself to her room to sketch. 

“Why don’t you stay down here and tell everyone about those other times akumas have come after you? I’m sure the other girls will love the stories!” Hanna asked as Marinette began walking up the stairs. 

“Reliving all of those stories with you today made me come up with some different ideas for sketches. If I don’t write them down now, I’ll forget! But I promise I’ll tell everyone whatever story you want me to another day!” Hanna nodded and Marinette dashed up to her room, without anyone following. 

She had snagged a couple of cookies for Tikki from the cabinet and placed them on the bedside table for when they came back from patrol. Marinette locked the door, unlatched the balcony door, and quickly transformed, disappearing into the night.

\----------------------------------------------------

As Ladybug swung closer to their meeting spot, she noticed a familiar set of ears sitting on the edge of the building, waiting for her. Once she had landed, she moved closer and sat down next to Chat.

“Sorry, I’m late, I had a hard time sneaking away from the girls tonight.” Ladybug said cheerfully as she sat. 

Chat nodded and smiled, “I wasn’t worried.” 

“How was your day?” 

“It was long. I had to endure a lecture from Father, a lecture from Mini-Natalie, and a lecture from Plagg all about different topics. But your presence and beautiful smile makes it all better.” 

Ladybug blushed a little at the compliment, “Woah, what did you do that needed to be lectured on?” 

“Mini-Natalie lectured me about how I need to stay in sight the next time an akuma attacks nearby so they can make sure I’m safe. Which of course is illogical since I have to escape to fight the akuma, but they don’t know that. Father lectured me on keeping a girl that he wanted to be gone and not making a big deal about her so-called behavior in front of the other girls.” Ladybug’s heart tightened, knowing that she was the reason he had gotten a lecture from his father. “And lastly, Plagg was upset about the way that I’m dealing with the girls who leave. He thinks that the akuma could have been avoided if I had handled it differently.” Chat let out a sigh, and Ladybug reached out and took his hand, intertwining their fingers together. 

“Was the girl Marinette?” Ladybug asked. Chat nodded and she sighed. “I’m sorry your Father didn’t like your choice. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you kept Marinette around.” 

Chat gave a small smile and squeezed her hand. “I am too. I knew he would be upset by my decision, but I also knew that I wanted her to stay. It was the one lecture I deserved, but I don’t regret my decision.” A small smile graced Ladybug’s lips. She was worried that Adrien would be upset with her because of the lecture, but the knowledge that he didn’t regret keeping her in the house lifted a weight of worry off of her shoulders that she didn’t realize was there. 

“Anyway, we do need to come up with a game plan to make sure another girl isn’t akumatized again because she got sent home.” Ladybug said, giving Chat’s hand a squeeze. “Especially as the numbers get smaller and the girls begin to take the cuts personally.” 

“I’m open to suggestions.” Chat said, trying to sound upbeat but failing. 

Ladybug pondered for a second and was slightly distracted by Chat rubbing different shapes into the back of her hand with his thumb. “If only there was a way that you could talk with each of them after you cut them, to make them understand why it happened and that there’s no hard feelings between you.” Ladybug thought aloud. 

Chat sat up a little straighter, “That’s actually a good idea. I could walk out each girl as they leave so there’s that extra time for us to chat and I can make them understand my thought process.” He started to perk up, sounding more relaxed than before. “Thanks, Bug, you’re a genius.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, which caused both of them to blush slightly. 

“That’s why they gave me the important miraculous.” She said, elbowing him with a sly grin. 

Chat looked stricken and placed a hand over his heart, “ _Meow_ ch, you’ve wounded me, milady.” 

She laughed and stood up, offering a hand to Chat so he could stand as well. “Come on, we have a city to patrol.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The next morning Marinette woke up, excitement and nervousness pulsing through her. Another Monday meant another week, which meant another date card, and Marinette was anxiously hoping that she would get the one on one this week. She quickly got ready, put on a presentable outfit, and rushed downstairs to the kitchen.

Alice, who was making omelets for everyone, called to Marinette as she ran into the room, “What do you want in yours Marinette?” 

Marinette smiled as she sat on a stool at the bar in between Lucie and Marie. “Give me whatever as long as there are no mushrooms!” 

“Wow picky, picky,” Alice teased as she turned back towards the stove. Alice was an expert cook and even was in line to inherit a huge restaurant chain from her parents. Much like Marinette, she grew up running around a kitchen and was put to work very quickly after she could walk. The main difference between the two is that Alice’s parents were loaded and frequently bought other restaurants out. When Alice got old enough, not only would she be a wonderful cook, but she would also be a multi-millionaire. Marinette had a feeling Alice was on Gabriel’s Top 10 list. Marinette dreaded the day that Alice got cut and all of the wonderful food would be taken away. 

An omelet was very quickly placed in front of Marinette and she began eating. All of the girls were chatting about who would be on the group date tonight and what they were going to wear and everything in between. Marinette was struck by how calm and friendly everyone was being to each other. It felt like a completely different house compared to a couple of weeks ago, where the tension was thick. It seemed that all of the girls liked each other a lot more as their numbers dwindled. 

Soon, they were all being ushered away to the main living room to await a date card. Marinette caught sight of Hanna and Juliette and gently pushed her way towards them. Once everyone was settled, a producer stepped into the room and addressed the girls. “Okay, we’re going to have Lila read the date card for today.” 

Marinette stifled an eye-roll as Lila smiled. Once there was a knock on the door, she sauntered to it to grab the date card. She came back, and announced, “I got the date card ladies!” with cheery excitement that made Marinette gag. 

She cracked the seal and went to read what it said, but didn’t speak. She looked at the nearest producer and asked, “Why is there only one name on here?” The other girls began nervously chatting and Hanna leaned to whisper to Marinette and Juliette, “What do you think is going on?” 

Marinette had time to whisper, “Maybe he’s doing the one-on-one first?” before Victoria stepped forward and the group went silent. 

“Ladies, I know this is a little different, but because there are so few of you left, and Adrien wants to truly begin narrowing down his prospects, there will be two one-on-ones and one group date from now on. The first one-on-one will be announced tonight, the group date tomorrow, and then Thursday will announce the last one-on-one. Lila, please reread the date card as you were before.” 

Lila cleared her throat and gave everyone a smile that Marinette didn’t believe was real. She reopened up the date card and read, “Alice.” All of the girls started “ooooh”-ing and Alice beamed from where she sat. “I can b- _air_ -ly wait to see you,” Lila finished reading and then placed the card on the coffee table. She then stalked out, quickly followed by her current posse of Camille, Marie, and Lily. Marinette congratulated Alice on her date card and then followed Hanna, Juliette, and Lucie to another living area. 

“What should we do today?” Juliette asked as she sat down on a chair. 

“I’m so bored of doing absolutely nothing almost every day. It makes me even hate sweet Alice for getting to _leave_ tomorrow.” Lucie said with a sigh. 

“I know what you mean! It’s like we do the same thing over and over again. No wonder all the drama ensues when Adrien is around, we are so in need of face-to-face time with someone who doesn’t live in this house or operate a camera.” Marinette added, sitting cross-legged on a rug in the middle of the room, facing the other girls. This was the only living room with a TV, but it only had a DVD player so the girls could watch various movies from the vast collection. 

“What if we built a fort?” Hanna asked casually. 

Marinette and Lucie both sat up straighter and turned towards Hanna. “That’s brilliant! We can make popcorn and pick out a movie and invite all of the girls to join us!” Lucie said, practically bouncing in her chair. 

“Forts are more of an evening activity,” Juliette pointed out. “How about we have a pool party instead? Show off those fancy Gabriel swimsuits we all got in our gift baskets the first day.” 

All of the girls were on their feet now and they were buzzing with excitement. “We can play volleyball and races, and we can have a diving contest, and we can eat lunch outside once we all get hungry.” Hanna squealed. 

“And once we all get tired, we can come back in and make a fort in this living room!” Marinette added. The girls nodded in agreement, and without talking about it, rushed for the stairs to tell everyone of the exciting day that they had planned. 

Within 30 minutes, all of the girls were at the poolside except for Alice and Constance, who were planning out Alice’s outfits for her date tomorrow, but promised they’d join once they were done. Even Lila was there, tanning and enjoying the sunshine. She was ignoring Marinette, which was fine by her, and it helped that none of the other girls noticed. 

They didn’t actually leave the mansion, but it felt like they had, with a change of scenery and outfits. The girls were all laughing and smiling and chatting. Marinette, Juliette and Hanna were the first in the water, solely because Lucie and Gabrielle pushed them in. By the time lunch came, all of the girls were wet but happy. 

They stayed outside until the sun began setting, reluctantly making their way inside to rinse off and change. Some of the girls completely redid their make-up, but Marinette’s main focus was to put on her fluffiest pajamas. 

“You seem like you’re having so much fun today!” Tikki chirped as she flitted around Marinette, who was pulling a brush through her hair. 

“Today has been one of the best days in the mansion.” Marinette responded, almost dreamily. “The only thing that could make it better would be if Alya was here to enjoy it all with me.” 

“At least you have friends who are there for you like Alya is here.” 

“Seriously though, Tikki. If I didn’t have Hanna and Juliette, I would be lost and upset. I probably would have cried more in the shower than I have.” 

“You’ve been crying in the shower?!” Tikki asked, alarmed, flying up to look at Marinette at eye level. 

“Well, that’s the only place to cry, unless you want to be filmed. Sometimes you just need to cry. I cried after the akuma and the rose ceremony on Saturday, just because it was so much all at one time. I promise you, Tik, if I’m truly upset, I’ll tell you.” 

Tikki softened a little at that. “Good. You know I care about you no matter what.” 

“I know, Tikki,” Marinette said softly, grabbing her kwami and pulling her in for a hug. 

A loud banging came on Marinette’s door and Tikki squealed and flitted away. 

It was Juliette. “Marinette! We are building this fort with or without you. I repeat we are building the fort with or without you!” 

“Coming!” Marinette called as she rushed to finish changing. “Come one Tikki! You can hide in my pocket and I’ll sneak you cookies throughout the movie!” 

Tikki gave an excited squeal and zoomed into Marinette’s pocket. “What are we waiting for! Let’s go!” 

Marinette laughed and skipped down the stairs to join the fun.

\----------------------------------------------------

The next morning all of the girls were chatting excitedly while eating the croissants that Marinette had prepared the night before. They had stayed up late chatting and watching Disney movies and just having a great time. Marinette was dragging this morning, but she was awake enough to bake the croissants and know that another date card was being read this morning.

Once they were gathered in the “Date Card Room,” the girls wished Alice a good time as she left for her one-on-one and were asked some questions about the date card today. 

“I’m getting restless. I would love more than anything for some alone time with Adrien that lasts more than 5 minutes.” Marinette nodded and sighed with Juliette as Sasha continued. “I hope my name isn’t on that date card, that would make my day.” 

Hanna went and answered the knock on the door, reappearing with the card, and for once, all of the girls held their breath, hoping that their name wasn’t on the paper. 

Hanna cracked open the paper and began reading off the names. With each name, a girl sighed and pretended to be happy, while the rest grew more tense. “Camille... Zoe... Lucie... Lila... Kagami... Hanna,” She gave a little half curtsy when she said her own name before continuing. “Sasha... Constance... Marie... Gabrielle... Lily,” Marinette quickly scanned the room and realized that only she and Juliette were left. 

They grabbed each other’s hands as Hanna read off the last name, “Marinette.” 

Lila looked ready to kill, but the rest were showing happy faces. Marinette hugged Juliette who was shaking she was so excited. 

“Let’s get our _act_ together,” Hanna read from the card, before placing it on the table. She quickly came and joined Marinette as Juliette had been snagged for an interview about her one-on-one. 

“Looks like we’re going on a date tomorrow,” Hanna said with a smile. 

“Looks like we are,” Marinette responded, giving her a hug. 

“Where do you think we’re going?” 

“As long as it’s out of this mansion, we’ll be okay,” Marinette winked and Hanna laughed right as Juliette ran up to them. 

“Come on! We have to figure out what you two are going to wear tomorrow!” Juliette pulled the two laughing girls up the stairs and they disappeared into a mess of clothes.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this EXTRA LONG chapter because I can and I hope you're ready for what this chapter entails, cause it's a fun one. :)
> 
> Your comments always make my day, and I am overjoyed that you guys love this fic so much! Your support means the world to me! <3

Marinette woke up excited. She was going to get to see Adrien today! It felt as though the whole house was buzzing. Alice came back from her one-on-one with a rose and Juliette was calmly helping Hanna get ready. Everyone else was in a frenzy. They knew that with so many girls on one date, they would have to fight for time. Marinette was just hoping that some girls (cough cough Lila) didn’t take that literally. 

When it was time to leave, Marinette and Hanna gave Juliette a hug. “Have fun! Kick some ass!” Juliette called as they ran for the van, which made both Hanna and Marinette burst into giggles the minute they set foot on the van. The ride didn’t feel very long with all of the girls chatting with each other and in no time, they were pulling to a stop. 

They were greeted by a producer who led them inside a warehouse with a smile. As they followed, they were greeted with what was obviously a film set of some sort. It looked a lot like what the mansion looked like on Cocktail Party nights with cameras and lights and microphones everywhere. They walked further into the space and was greeted both by Adrien, who looked handsome as always, and another man who looked to be in his late 20s. 

“Hello ladies, and thank you for joining me today,” Adrien began, smiling at all of them in turn. “I have something super exciting planned for you. Most of you may not know this, but my mother was an actress before she disappeared. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to star in a movie and today we will be doing just that. I have here with me a popular film director, Jean Vigo, who is going to be directing our film today.” 

The other man stepped forward and addressed the girls, “Yes, hello to you all. Today we are going to be filming a short movie, which will be a mystery. Someone has stolen Adrien’s heart and he will have to search through the list of suspects to see who has it. All of you have assigned parts and will be fitted for costumes. First, let’s pass out scripts and I need you to begin memorizing lines.” 

Marinette waited as a crew member stepped forward and began calling out the girls’ names. They each had a script, which was about 13 pages long, with their names on it and their highlighted lines marked. Marinette would be playing the role of the undercover detective, who was sent to aid Adrien in his investigation without him knowing. 

Marinette was actually really excited about this. Although she had been separated from Hanna, who was playing the role of a lawyer, Marinette, out of all the girls, would get to spend the most time with Adrien while practicing and shooting. 

She was in the first group to be fitted for costumes, which meant she’d be memorizing her lines while waiting on everyone else to be fitted. She was wearing this sexy red dress that had a low neckline and the sleeves were off-the-shoulder while going into a full long sleeve. It had a sparkle to it, and clung to Marinette in just the right places. It also had a fake holster on her thigh, which made Marinette feel both sexy and uncomfortable. Inside the holster was a fake gun, a fake knife, and her badge. Right at the end of the movie, after Marinette revealed that she was the undercover cop, she would seductively pull out her badge and gun. The costume department did a wonderful job dressing her and she was waiting for the rest of the group to be done. She was spending some time memorizing her lines when she heard a shrill scream from nearby. 

“OH MY GOSH! I can’t believe that I DON’T get to kiss Adrien in the movie! Who in the WORLD wrote this script? And you’re making me wear THIS? Is this EVEN a Gabriel original, because I’m a model and know good style. This is NOT good style! This is TRASH and I REFUSE to be a part of this!” 

Marinette had to stifle an eye-roll. Lila was already causing a scene and they had only just arrived at the date. Marinette was silently hoping that Adrien would hear about this outburst and have a good reason to kick her out, but she tried not to get her hopes up. 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Rossi. But, that’s your assigned costume and not every girl can have a kiss scene with Adrien. Miss Dupain-Cheng doesn’t have a kiss scene and she’s not complaining.” _Why did I have to get dragged into this?_ Marinette wondered as she slowly turned towards the crew member talking with Lila. Lila chose that moment to shoot Marinette a glare, which Marinette returned with a smile. 

“Well if Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng can get over it, then I guess I can too. She is the favorite after all. I want to be just like her.” Lila’s voice was as sweet as a macaroon and stung like poison. Lila slowly approached Marinette and she took that time to size her up. Lila was currently barefoot, and Marinette discovered that she wasn’t as tall as she made herself seem, only a couple of inches taller than Marinette. She was also dressed in a typical maid outfit, black and white dress, modest skirt length, odd looking headband. She was very angry, though, and Marinette knew something was about to go down and was preparing herself for a fight. But, when Lila put her hand gently on Marinette’s shoulder and leaned forward towards Marinette’s ear, she was so in shock she didn’t do anything. 

“Come with me,” Lila whispered in a deadly way. 

Marinette did as she was told, half curious and half trying not to make more of a scene. The two girls ended up in a bathroom together, since the cameras can’t follow anyone into a bathroom. 

Lila roughly pushed Marinette inside and after Marinette had righted herself with a frown, she crossed her arms and stared Lila down. Lila copied her stance and crept closer to Marinette. 

“I knew you would be the problem child on the first night.” Marinette rolled her eyes but Lila ignored it. “You have done nothing but ruin all of my well thought out plans. I am meant to marry Adrien Agreste. You have no hope of winning his affections and honestly, you’re so pathetic I’m having trouble seeing you as actual competition. You need to sit down and leave me and my future husband alone, do you hear me? If you keep up this ‘I’m the perfect child’ act, I’ll have no choice but to turn all of your friends against you and force the public to see me as the good guy.” 

Marinette had to admit that the speech was slightly terrifying. Thankfully, being Ladybug for so long, had rubbed off some of that courage and strength into her normal, everyday life. Plus no one talks about her Kitty that way. “Leave me alone. You have no ‘right’ over Adrien and you don’t own him. He is here to make his own decisions and you have to play by the rules just like everyone else.” 

Lila paused, but only for a minute, before stepping even closer to Marinette. They were merely inches away when she dropped her voice and whispered with a straight tone, “Give me your dress.” 

“Excuse me?” Marinette asked incredulously, while taking a step back to better look at Lila. 

“I said, give me your dress. I’m going to play the sexy detective and you are going to play the pathetic maid and just spend the entire movie dusting and being annoying.” 

“No.” Marinette muttered that word with all of the contempt and confidence she could muster. 

Lila looked as though she had been slapped and reached out and pulled on a sleeve of Marinette’s dress. “Fine, then I’ll take care of it myself.” She gripped Marinette’s arm with a vice like grip and yanked down. Marinette heard the fabric ripping and watched as her sleeve fluttered to the floor. Marinette bent to pick it up, anger rising, and when she looked back, Lila had turned and was looking at herself in the mirror. She had her hand raised and was looking as if she was going to high-five herself or something odd when a huge CRACK was heard. 

Marinette couldn’t believe her eyes. Lila had slapped _herself_. She had tears running down her face and a red hand print was beginning to appear. She gave Marinette a devious smile before reaching for the doorknob of the bathroom door. 

“I can’t believe it, Marinette!” Lila yelled as she opened the door to the camera crew waiting outside. Her tears were flowing down her cheeks and someone was rushing up to Lila immediately to help her. “I thought you were my friend! Just leave me alone!” Lila cried as she was ushered away by a producer. Marinette could only stare after her in shock as a producer rushed up to her and said, “Well, looks like we need an interview.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien had just finished putting on his costume and was working on his lines when the producer who had originally told Adrien about Gabriel’s plans for the show, Mark, rushed up to him in a hurry. He’d never seen a producer rush before and was curious as to what the occasion would be. 

“So sorry to bother you Adrien, but something’s happened you need to know about.” 

Mark’s tone of voice put Adrien on edge. He stood up quickly, forgetting his script and followed him to a room off to the side, near where the girls were getting ready. Inside was Lila and she looked a mess. She was dressed in an adorable maid outfit that actually made Lila seem older and more mature. Adrien’s attention, however, was quickly drawn to the red handprint shaped mark on her cheek and the tears running down her face. 

“Oh my gosh, Lila what happened?” 

At that, she broke down into sobs, and between the sobs Adrien was able to piece together the story. She was in the bathroom fixing her make-up, when Marinette came storming and claiming that Lila was ruining all of her plans and that she was meant to be with Adrien. Lila tried to tell her that she meant no harm when she freaked out and told Lila that she would turn all of her friends against her and that she would look like the good guy. Lila tried to calm Marinette and accidentally ripped her dress. Marinette freaked out and slapped Lila. 

Adrien was having a hard time processing this. It didn’t make sense. Marinette didn’t seem like the kind of girl to go off and become violent with anyone. He thought back to the Marinette that said all of those wonderful things about him multiple times Saturday night. This didn’t sit right and he needed to get to the bottom of it. Adrien remembered what Plagg had told him, about dealing with the drama. “Lila, I’m so sorry this happened to you. Let’s get you fixed up and ready to go for the movie and I’ll see you in a bit okay?” He turned on his heel and walked right out the room, itching to find Marinette and see what her take on this was. 

As Adrien searched through the warehouse where they were filming, he knew he should be memorizing his lines but was much more concerned about this. He had to do what Plagg suggested and solve this before it got too big to handle. Finally, he found Marinette, leaving another small room with a camera crew and looking harassed. 

“Marinette! I’m glad I found you. We need to talk.” Marinette looked almost upset at those words but solemnly nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. He led her to the boys bathroom, knowing full well that no one else would need it and that way they could talk without the cameras following them. Maybe he could get the full truth from her with more privacy. 

“So,” Adrien began watching Marinette and her reactions closely. “I was just talking with Lila.” At that, Marinette’s eyes flared. Adrien took a step back away from Marinette, but continued anyway. “She said—” 

“I don’t care what she said, it’s totally false. I did not touch her, I did not say anything to her except defend you when she claimed that she owned you. She is the one who ripped my dress after asking me to switch roles with her. She also _slapped herself_ right after she threatened me and I was too stunned to say anything. Plus, who would believe me? Who in their right mind would slap themselves? Adrien,” She grabbed his arm and forced him to meet her eyes, “I promise that I have nothing to do with this.” Marinette was breathing heavily and had tears streaming down her face. Adrien noticed that she was gorgeous while determined and crying, and his heart twinged a little. He shook his head to clear it, he couldn’t be thinking of how pretty she was when he was supposed to be clearing the air. 

She looked up at him with a fierce determination and he could tell that she was telling the truth. He had gotten to know her well enough to know for sure. Plus, she once told him that she always keeps her promises, and she has given him no reason to doubt her. Lila on the other hand messed with Marinette at the last rose ceremony and seems to thrive off of drama. That gave him reason to doubt her. 

“You have to believe me, Adrien. I would never lie to you.”

He immediately thought of Ladybug. She had that same look in her eyes when fighting an akuma, or telling Chat that she knew where the akuma was located. He trusted her blindly and it always worked out for him. Now, he owed Marinette that same trust. 

“I believe you, but the other girls won’t. Lila seems really upset,” at that Marinette rolled her eyes, “and I can’t allow this drama to be present or made to seem okay.” He paused for a minute, thinking up a plan. “Okay, I have an idea.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien walked Marinette to the main room where they could clearly be seen by the cameras. He made sure there was some sort of distance between them and he led her straight to the room where he had left Lila, who was graciously still there. 

“Marinette, Lila, I know something happened earlier today that needs to be discussed. I’ve heard each of your takes on the story and I have decided what’s the best thing to do with both of you. Lila, I want you to be cleaned up and ready to play the maid in the movie.” Lila’s face flashed a look of anger before going back to a calm demeanor. 

“Whatever you want, Adrien. But, what will happen to Marinette?” Lila asked with a sniffle, getting up calmly from her chair. Adrien was hoping that she would think he sided with her, as the rest of the girls and crew would side as well. Adrien was just hoping that he could catch the camera crew that followed the girls to the bathroom before Lila did. 

“As for Marinette,” Adrien made a show of turning towards her. She did a wonderful job of looking very upset and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Adrien took a deep breath and tried to sound as much like his Father as he could. “She is going to be excused from the day-portion of the date. She and I will have a talk tonight at the evening portion and her fate will be decided then.” 

Lila seemed satisfied with that answer and sauntered out of the room, making sure the give Adrien a peck on the cheek as she left. Adrien, now slightly blushing watched as the rest of the crew followed after her. He turned towards Marinette again and asked, “Can I walk you out?” She nodded and he led her towards the exit of the warehouse, making sure no one was following them. 

He grabbed her hand before she got in the van. “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll see you in a few hours.” 

Marinette nodded and, without warning, pulled Adrien into a hug. His arms automatically wrapped around her and he couldn’t help but take in her smell and the feel of her in his arms. It was something he could get used to. 

“I trust you,” Marinette whispered into his chest, where her head rested. He couldn’t help but smile at that as he let her go and opened the van door for her. 

“Tonight.” He reminded her, not wanting to let go of her hand. 

“Tonight.” She gave his hand a squeeze and then let go and shut the door.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien felt a tug on his heart as he watched the car leave the lot. As soon as it had turned the corner, he rushed back inside and beelined for the main producers. 

“I need footage of the fight that happened between Marinette and Lila.” He always forgot how much like his Father he could sound like until moments like these. He was directed towards the crew that followed them and was allowed to watch the tape. 

All that could be seen was the bathroom door, but everything was clearly heard. The hardest part was that since there is no way to know who was saying what, exactly, both Marinette and Lila’s story could be true. He pulled aside one of the producers and asked if some sort of voice recognition could be done on the video so he could know exactly who said what. He was told that it was possible, it would just take a couple of days, maybe even a week to complete. 

Adrien nodded and returned to the fake movie set, where his script and un-memorized lines were waiting. 

A couple hours later, Adrien was dressed in a decent suit and casually making a movie with 11 beautiful girls. They had cut out Marinette’s character completely, and he ended up having a kiss scene with every girl willing, including Lila. Each one put their full effort into the date, even if some of them were not very good actresses. Overall, Adrien decided the date would have been more fun if Marinette had been there to enjoy it with him. 

Word got around quickly (thanks to Lila, no doubt) that Marinette had been asked to leave the day portion of the date. He had to reassure a hyperventilating Hanna that Marinette would be at the night portion of the date and that he had not kicked her out of the house. He was approached by others, both worried about Marinette’s safety and claiming her innocence. 

“Adrien,” the cool, crisp voice of Kagami cut through his thoughts as he watched the girls pack up to leave for the night portion. “Can we talk?” Adrien smiled at her and gestured to a more secluded corner where no cameras were sure to find them. 

“What’s up?” 

“It’s about Marinette. I need to tell you that she did not harm Lila.” 

Adrien was a little taken aback by her statement. Kagami didn’t ever seem to interact with the other girls and only talked with Adrien privately. He had never even seen Kagami interact with Marinette, especially be friends with her enough for her to come to Marinette’s defense. 

“I didn’t realize you and Marinette are close.” 

“We aren’t. I just know that she is innocent. I am very perceptive of these things and I can usually read the motives or the thoughts of a person before most. When I saw Lila after the incident, her motives were clear.” 

Adrien waited for Kagami to elaborate, but she didn’t. He sighed and bit back a small smile. Kagami was interesting, and someone that Adrien could definitely see himself falling for. But, there was a side of her that didn’t seem to understand a lot of social situations, much like himself. He really grew to care for her during their fencing date. He felt as though that was the first time she opened up and connected with Adrien, without even saying a word. 

He knew that pushing Kagami to clarify would only lead him to be more confused, so he instead rested a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for telling me, Kagami. I appreciate you bringing more clarity to the situation.” She gave him a slight bow, like they would at the beginning of a fencing match, before walking away. 

All the signs pointed to Marinette being in the right, but without a confirmed voice recognition test tonight, he was going to have to treat Marinette like the bad guy.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette had never been more nervous for the second half of a date. Last week she was addressed by Gabriel Agreste himself, and this week she would have to be on the receiving end of Adrien’s anger, even if it wasn’t true. He had told her his plan with the voice recognition software, but if there was one thing that Alya taught her, it was that things like that take time, which means that she wouldn’t be liked by many tonight. 

She had the whole afternoon to change and prepare for the evening portion of their date and was itching to see other people again. She met up with the group right outside of the hotel that was hosting them tonight, and was ushered to the back of the group as they were filmed entering. 

She could feel both the cameras and Hanna watching her more than normal and she sighed as the realization that it was going to be like that the whole date hit her. She sat at the edge of the couch, right in Lila’s eye sight, and waited for Adrien to come and make his toast. 

Before too long, Adrien entered, smiling and looking handsome, as usual. Just the sight of him in a suit got her heart racing and made her palms sweaty. “Long time no see, ladies.” Adrien smirked, causing all of the girls to laugh. Marinette gave a weak chuckle. “It’s so wonderful to see you all in your normal clothes, and may I say you all look stunning tonight.” Adrien’s eyes swept the group and landed on Marinette. She felt a slight blush hit her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her lap, hoping no one caught the slight edge of her smile. 

“I am so excited to talk with each of you tonight and I want you all to know that I value your feelings and opinions very much.” On that ominous note, Adrien turned towards Marie with a smile and a, “Can I steal you for a second?” to which he received a nod. 

Once Adrien was out of earshot, the girls began chatting and Hanna grabbed Marinette’s wrist. “Let’s go to the bathroom.” 

Marinette gave her a weak smile and followed her to the closest bathroom, locking the door behind her. She then turned on both of the sinks. “What are you doing?” 

“Making background noise so no one can hear what’s being said outside.” Hanna said with the most serious face Marinette had ever seen her wear. 

Marinette smiled, “That’s brilliant!” 

The girls retreated as far from the door as they could and Marinette explained her side of the story to Hanna. When she had finished, Hanna was shaking with anger. 

“That girl! Ugh! What does she have against you to continuously target you?” 

“I don’t know, but Hanna we have to let it go. I promise that I have a plan and Adrien believes me, he believes that I’m innocent.” Marinette gently placed her hands on Hanna’s shoulders, the physical touch calming her slightly. 

“I just don’t want to see anything happen to you, Marinette. You’re one of my best friends, tied with Juliette of course.” 

“And I don’t want anything to happen to _you_ , which is why you need to stay out of it. I’m used to fighting people like Lila and I can’t let you get twisted in this battle she’s created.” Marinette pulled Hanna in for a hug and they just held each other for a minute. “Just think of Lila like one of the akumas I’ve had to deal with. My best friend back home told me that, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.’ Lila is the evil here, and I’m the good people. Just like in my stories. Good always wins.” 

“Ladybug and Chat Noir always save the day.” Hanna said, pulling away from Marinette and giving her hands a squeeze. 

Hanna had no idea how true that statement actually was.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was having flashbacks to his first night ever being the Bachelor: so many girls and very short conversations. At least this time he knew all of their names. 

He had purposefully saved Lila and Marinette for last, hoping to spend more time with each of the girls smoothing out the fight from earlier. The last thing he needed was another akumatization of one of the girls. Lila was first, and he didn’t have a clue what he was going to say. Without his proof, he couldn’t confront her, so his main goal of the talk was to just keep her calm and content until he could confront her with the truth when he had it. 

When Lila was instructed to interrupt his conversation with Camille, Adrien plastered on a fake smile and reminded himself that it would all be over soon. 

“Hey gorgeous,” she teased as she gave Adrien a hug and a kiss. He made sure it was a short one and had her sit down with him to talk. 

“How are you doing after everything today?” He asked, trying hard not to let the anger color his voice. 

She had the audacity to give him a sad smile and a sniffle before replying, “I’m doing much better. Thank you so much for dealing with Marinette. She’s been so mean to me since the first night in the mansion and I just didn’t know how to tell you.” She sounded like a small child talking about their lost puppy, and Adrien worked to keep the grimace off of his face. 

“I’m sorry you’ve had to endure that, especially here on the show. All I want is for all of you to be happy and comfortable while I work out how I feel about everyone.” 

Lila gave a giggle that was probably supposed to be cute, but Adrien wasn’t about it. “You are the sweetest thing.” She had begun to play with his tie, which if he remembered correctly from various movies he had watched meant that she was probably flirting with him. Adrien took that as a good sign that she couldn’t see how upset he was with her. 

She gave him a look that could only be described as sultry and leaned in close enough for their breaths to mix. “What is your heart saying about me?” He stuttered slightly, not prepared for their proximity for each other and knowing that the truthful answer wouldn’t please her. She took his silence as something other than the uneasiness that it was and moved even closer to him, to where she was sitting on his lap. “Or are you paying attention to what the other parts of you are saying?” Adrien gulped and her hand started to slip from his tie towards the bottom of his shirt. He quickly intercepted it and twined his fingers through hers to prevent her from trying to do whatever she was planning on doing again. 

Adrien swallowed and gave a weak smile, “My _heart_ is telling me that there is more to you than meets the eye, and that I want to get to know you even more as our time together continues.” _Technically_ that wasn’t a lie. 

“Does that mean you want me to stick around?” Lila asked playfully. He had forgotten that she had two hands, so when the other one began petting his hair, he almost jumped. But he quickly smiled to cover his skittish movements when an idea popped into his head. 

“Actually, I do.” The smile on her face almost made him gag. “I was going to wait to ask you next week, but I was hoping you’d do me the honor of having a one-on-one date with me.” 

Lila’s smile got bigger and she leaned in for a kiss. This one lasted longer and Adrien had a harder time pushing her off of him. “Oh, Adrien I would love to have some more alone time with you,” she gushed. 

“We’re still going to have to go through the formalities with the date card and whatnot. Plus, you can’t tell a soul, it’s just between me and you for now.” She nodded and leaned in for another kiss. He was so over this kissing. 

Adrien’s saving grace came in the form of heels clicking from afar, which made Lila pull back. She gracefully slid off of Adrien’s lap and gently grabbed his hand, making it look like nothing had transpired between them right as Marinette rounded the corner. Marinette smiled nervously and Adrien stood up, taking Lila with him. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to have a serious conversation with Marinette now.” 

Lila nodded solemnly and pulled him in for one last hug. He counted to five before pushing her away and letting go of her hand. His gaze immediately went to Marinette and his whole body seemed to relax. He made sure to make his smile look grim as he caught her hand and led her to the chaise. 

“So, how was the rest of the date?” 

“What are your thoughts on today?”

Both Marinette and Adrien started at the same time, causing them both to laugh. Adrien couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on his face. “You first.” 

Marinette hadn’t let go of Adrien’s hand and was playing with his fingers, like Ladybug did sometimes when he was upset. She also wouldn’t look at him. “I think you should go first.” 

Adrien paused slightly, suddenly very aware of the cameras watching, before diving right in, “I know you told me your side of the story about what happened with Lila today, but I need you to know that Lila’s version is the complete opposite of yours. And that means one of you is lying to me, and that bothers me a great deal.” Adrien held up his hand as Marinette went to open her mouth to speak, and she quickly shut it, looking dejected. “Now before you say anything, I need you to know that I am analyzing the footage that was taken from outside of the bathroom and trying to piece together for myself what happened in there.” 

Marinette glanced up at him slightly and spoke just loudly enough for the cameras to catch it, “What does that mean for you and me?” 

Adrien bit his cheek to keep from grinning. Should fashion not work out for her, she has a _serious_ career potential in movies. She is a _wonderful_ actress. She is selling this so well. 

“I’m going to keep you around,” Adrien said with a soft smile, reaching out to lift her chin up. Her blue eyes locked into his and he could see real hurt there. He froze, suddenly worried that Marinette may actually think that he is mad at her. He wanted to ask her right then, but since he couldn’t be sure she would answer him not in character, he moved on with the conversation as planned. 

“Marinette, I really care for you. I have a serious crush and I am very interested in seeing where this relationship can go. But I need you to know, I will not date a liar. If you are the one not telling the truth, please come clean with me now, and it’ll make it easier on both of us later.” 

She was still looking him in the eye and they had subconsciously moved closer together though Adrien knew he wouldn’t be kissing her tonight. “I promise you, Adrien. I’m not the one lying to you. I care about you too much to do something like that.” 

Adrien smiled fully now and stood up, once again, taking the girl attached to his hand with him. Although he didn’t mind this attachment as much as the last. “Thank you for your honesty, Marinette.” He pulled her in for a hug, and with his mouth covered by her hair, whispered, “Please, please stay so we can chat.” 

She pulled away and gave him a smile, which he chose to interpret as a yes. He watched her walk away and was struck with how much harder it was to see her go than any of the other girls. 

Once she was out of sight, he was whisked away to choose who received the group date rose. He honestly chose a random name that wasn’t Lila or Marinette and went ahead to present it. 

“Hello again, everyone. I had such a wonderful time talking with all of you and I am so grateful that I was actually able to spend time with all of you tonight. There are so many of you, it felt like my first day at the mansion all over again, but it was better because our conversations were deeper and real.” Some of the girls awed at that, and he made a mental note to thank the producer who wrote most of his speeches. He reached out and grabbed the rose sitting on the table. “One of you really opened up to me tonight and I wanted to show how thankful I am for that.” He searched the group, noticing both Lila’s awaiting eyes, and Marinette’s patient ones as his gaze landed on who he had chosen. “Zoe, will you accept this rose?” 

Zoe beamed and blushed a bright red. She stood up clumsily and almost tripped, but was caught by both Adrien and Lucie grabbing her arms. “Oh goodness! Thanks,” Zoe was even more red than before as she took the rose from Adrien and quickly sat back down. 

A producer stepped up and began assigning girls to rooms for interviews and Adrien watched Marinette slip away towards the bathrooms. He quickly followed. 

As he got closer to her, his heartbeat quickened and his hands started to get clammy. He didn’t know why he was reacting to her like this, but he had this crazy urge to kiss her. He settled this time for a hug. 

“You did a wonderful job on that speech! You made it so easy to not be super happy to be with you.” Marinette said, craning her neck to look up at him. He loved how small she was and how easily she fit into him. Her hugs reminded him of the comfort and safeness he felt when hugging Ladybug. 

“You did such a great job. I was terrified you were actually upset with me,” Adrien gushed, letting a little of his worry into his voice. 

“How could I be mad at a plan that you created? Lila seemed pretty happy when I saw her after you two talked. So that’s a really good sign.” 

Adrien shivered a little, remembering what his talk with Lila had really been like. He looked back down at Marinette, and the urge to kiss her overcame him again. He channeled some of his inner Chat Noir and dove right in. She was clearly startled at first, and he almost pulled away. But then, he felt her lips soften against his. She began kissing him back and he realized how intoxicating kissing her was. He was on cloud-nine and he never wanted to come down. When they did break apart, Adrien was slightly out of breath, and he was pleased to see that Marinette was as well. They both stood there in the moment, just smiling at each other and forgetting that an entire other world existed around them. 

“What was that for?” Marinette asked, her breathy tone doing dangerous things to his body. 

“I wanted to kiss you so bad earlier, but couldn’t because I was pretending to be upset with you. I was going to go crazy if I didn’t get that kiss tonight.” Adrien realized he was sharing a lot to one of the 14 girls he was currently dating, but he didn’t feel embarrassed. 

Marinette flushed a darker shade of red and just smiled at him. They both jumped when a crew member dropped something nearby, reminding them both that they were actually not alone, nor supposed to be together. 

Marinette was the first to react. “Oh no, I have to go! They are going to be looking for me to interview soon!” Adrien didn’t want her to walk away, and held her hand a little longer. She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you again Saturday at the cocktail party.” He nodded and watched her walk away once again. 

Kissing Marinette was wonderful, and thrilling, and _familiar_. Her lips were soft, sweet, and tasted oddly like strawberry lip gloss. Something about it struck a chord with Adrien, but he pushed it away, and began searching for Mini-Natalie so he could go back to the hotel room and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jean Vigo is a movie director in France, but he is not in his late 20s as he actually passed away in 1934, but his picture on Google looked the coolest so that’s why he got chosen to be the director :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, my new job has been working me a lot and I am e x h a u s t e d when I get home. BUT! I found some time to write a new chapter, hope you all enjoy!

The fact that Marinette was not sent home at the end of the group date struck a chord with a number of girls, Lila included. About half of the girls believed that Marinette was framed and that she wouldn’t hurt Lila. The other half were convinced that Lila was queen of all and refused to accept that she could do something like that. It made for an interesting van ride home. 

Hanna had been a godsend for the second half of the date, refusing to leave Marinette’s side and snapping at anyone who came close to either of them. Lucie was permitted by Hanna to sit on the other side of Marinette however, and she felt comforted by the support that these two girls provided. Marinette was grateful when they made it back to the mansion and Juliette was located by Hanna.

Hanna did most of the talking when explaining everything to Juliette, except when it came to Marinette’s time with Adrien. She heard herself explain what Adrien said and the “warning” he gave, but it was as though she was a spectator watching the whole conversation from afar. Somehow, Marinette ended up in her bedroom, reassuring both girls that she was going to be okay and that she just needed some sleep. 

Once the door was shut and both girls had gone off to their own bedrooms, Tikki flew out and gave Marinette’s cheek a hug. She had never felt so emotionally and mentally exhausted before. The moment with Adrien right before her interview was revitalizing, but once she was out of his presence and surrounded once again by girls and crew members shooting her horrible looks, she felt drained and empty. 

“You’ve had a long day,” Tikki said softly. “You need to get some rest.” 

She was too tired to cry, and yet too nervous about the rest of the week spent with people who thought she was guilty to sleep. “How in the world am I going to survive the next few days?” Marinette asked with a sigh. She sat down on the edge of her bed and hugged her arms around herself. 

Tikki moved to where she could look at Marinette straight on, though Marinette didn’t meet her gaze. “Like you always do. With strength. With confidence. With the spirit of Ladybug as she’s saving the city.” Marinette looked up at her kwami and gave a small smile. “You’ve done so many amazing things, both in and outside of the mask. You’ve dealt with Chloe throughout all of your schooling and even during this show. You’ve faced countless akumas, and have even stared down Hawkmoth himself. This is a setback, and one you don’t deserve to go through, but of all of the girls on this show, you are the one that has the strength and the resilience to survive.” Tikki had her hands on her hips and she looked like a force to be reckoned with, which of course, she was. 

Marinette smiled and cupped Tikki to her cheek. “You’re right, Tikki. This isn’t going to be easy, but I can do it.” Tikki hugged her back. “Thank you for always being there for me,” Marinette whispered. 

Tikki just smiled. “I’ll always be there for you, Marinette.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The rest of the week dragged on, and Marinette once again stayed away from the majority of the house when she could. She surfaced for meals and that’s it, the horrible looks she received from Lila’s posse forcing her to not resurface unless necessary. She did however wake up early the morning after the group date to help Juliette get ready for her one-on-one. She and Hanna were at the door, giving her hugs and waving as the van pulled away to take her to meet Adrien.

Hanna and Juliette (once she had returned with a rose) ignored the rest of the house as well, never leaving Marinette’s side except to sleep. They played games and told stories and laughed and did everything they could to make Marinette feel as though she was not alone, even if everyone outside of her bedroom made her feel as though she was. 

When Saturday morning rolled around, Marinette’s stomach was twisted into knots. She didn’t know how today was going to look and was worried that she would end up without a rose, despite all of the kind words Adrien had said at the end of the date. Gabriel had surely heard about the whole thing and considering he already wanted Marinette gone, the pressure Adrien must be receiving from his father to kick her out had probably doubled. 

She had just finished eating breakfast and was about to retreat back to her room, Hanna and Juliette quickly following her, when they were stopped by a producer. “There is a required meeting in the front living room that all girls need to attend in 5 minutes.” The three girls exchanged looks, but turned and went into the “Date Card Room” room swiftly. Hanna and Juliette sat on either side of Marinette, and Lucie and Sasha waved at her from across the room. She smiled gently and waved back, remembering that there were others who believed her, no matter what Lila said. 

Chris Harrison walked into the room, and all of the chatter stopped. He gave them a smile and addressed them kindly, “Hello ladies. I know you weren’t expecting to see me so early, but I have some good news for you,” Marinette’s heartbeat quickened and she unconsciously leaned forward, as did most of the girls. “Adrien has decided that since it is so nice outside, that he wanted to take advantage of the weather and spend some more time with his favorite girls.” All of the girls were holding their breaths, not daring to breathe in case they missed something Chris said. “So, we will be forgoing the formal cocktail party and instead be having a pool side party.” Gasps of excitement were heard around the room and almost drowned out Chris’s next words. “Adrien will be here in about an hour and a half and lunch will be served outside to all.” He then disappeared, leaving all of the girls chatting excitedly. 

Lila seemed to be the only one upset by this announcement. “We literally already had a pool party this week.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Plus, Adrien won’t get to see me in my jaw dropping evening gown.” 

Marinette opened her mouth to respond, but Juliette beat her to it, “Instead he’ll get to see your ugly ass in a swimsuit. Better make sure you have a nice cover-up, we wouldn’t want Adrien to have to witness your fading spray tan and your stuffed swimsuit.” Marinette stifled a laugh as Lila looked offended and stalked out of the room. Most of the room giggled as she left, more excited to spend time with Adrien than be upset about the formal wear. From the hallway, Lila snapped her fingers and her posse quickly stood up and followed her out of the room. 

Marinette turned to Juliette and smiled teasingly, “That was awfully mean of you,” 

Juliette could only shrug, “I could’ve said worse.” At that Marinette and Hanna both laughed. 

An hour and a half later, all of the girls were casually lounging around the pool in their Gabriel designed swimsuits. Marinette had chosen a pink one piece that had cuts on both sides right above her hips and showed off her figure without showing off too much skin. Marinette wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed of her body, on the contrary, she was confident in how she looked, especially considering she ran around in a skintight leather suit in her spare time. She just felt it would be better if she didn’t show too much skin on camera, knowing that her Papa and others would be watching later on. 

The sun was shining bright and it felt wonderful to be outside, especially considering she spent a large portion of the past few days in her room. She was debating whether to jump in the pool or not when she heard a commotion come from the gate that led to the front walkway. 

It was Adrien, and Marinette had to keep herself from drooling. Considering she had seen him for five years wearing a skintight leather suit, she had only imagined what the body underneath the suit could look like. He was wearing a tank top and swim trunks, but he was still showing so much skin and was gorgeous. He was perfectly tanned and Marinette recognized the shape of his arm muscles even without the suit. He seemed to glow in the sunlight as he walked into the pool area where all of the girls were waiting for him. 

“Good afternoon ladies! It’s so wonderful to see all of you again and to admire the mansion in the daytime!” The girls giggled and even Marinette let out a chuckle. “I’m excited to dive into our conversations today and have a _splash_ tastic time.” Marinette rolled her eyes as the other girls giggled. This new territory leaves Adrien with a new arsenal of puns and Marinette was just going to have to smile through it. 

A producer stepped forward and told them that lunch was served. “Adrien will begin to pull girls one by one after lunch.” Everyone split into their respective groups and Adrien ended up standing by himself as all of the girls went to serve themselves food. 

Marinette, watched closely by Hanna and Juliette, walked towards Adrien, “Want to eat with us?” Marinette asked with a smile, gesturing to Hanna and Juliette behind her. 

Adrien’s face lit up when he saw Marinette and she blushed slightly at his expression. She watched his eyes casually rake up and down her body before he answered, “I really wish I could, Mari, but I think I have to make my rounds through all of the girls.” She blushed even harder at the use of the nickname. Only Alya and Nino called her Mari, and it made her relationship with Adrien feel realer than it had before. 

“Will you get to eat?” Marinette asked, ignoring the thumping of her heart and actually concerned for his well being. 

“Maybe bits and pieces here and there,” Adrien sighed, though the smile never left his face. 

“I’ll get extra and let you eat off of my plate, okay?” Marinette asked, risking it and reaching over to lightly touch his arm. 

“Bless you, Mari,” Adrien said with a wink. She was blushing profusely, and she could feel it creeping down onto her chest, visible for everyone to see. She walked back over to her friends who were staring at her wide-eyed. 

“Whatever you may say, Marinette, I think Adrien has a serious crush on you.” Hanna squealed while trying to contain her excitement. 

“Teach me your ways, Master Marinette,” Juliette said with a bow. Marinette laughed and pushed the two girls lightly. 

“It’s nothing, I promise. I just asked him to eat with us and he had to decline because of his host-ly duties.” 

“Hate to break it to you hun, that didn’t look like nothing. He doesn’t look at anyone else like _that_.” Juliette said, her tone suddenly very serious. 

Marinette blushed further and was saved from forming a response by Alice calling out to them to come and grab some food before it was gone. 

Marinette was true to her word and grabbed extra food, enough for both her and Adrien, which of course did not pass Hanna and Juliette’s keen eyes. They were kind enough not to say anything. Marinette took this time to observe Adrien interacting with all of the other girls. He traveled from clique to clique and chatted with each group an equal amount. He did smile and laugh and seem to enjoy himself around all of the girls, but his face never did light up when he talked to them and he didn’t seem as comfortable as he did when he was with her as Ladybug. 

Adrien saved their small group for last. He sat down right next to Marinette and she could tell he was immediately at ease. Out of their small group, Marinette was the only one that hadn’t had a one-on-one, but she was the most comfortable around Adrien. Hanna was less giddy and more chill whereas Juliette seemed more on edge and laughed louder than normal at his jokes, which he had plenty of. He did munch comfortably off of Marinette’s plate, not even pretending to ask permission. Marinette saw Juliette’s eyebrows shoot up when he first leaned over and took a chip, and when Marinette met her eyes, she just shot her a wink. 

Soon, too soon, the plate was empty and their time was up. Adrien was being corralled to go start pulling ladies and Marinette was left watching him walk away, wishing he didn’t have to. 

“Um earth to Marinette, what was that?” Juliette asked, sliding into the spot that Adrien had previously held. “Since when do you let people eat off of your plate?”

Marinette blushed once again and tried to sound nonchalant. “Since Adrien wasn’t going to be able to eat lunch and I didn’t want him to starve?” 

Hanna and Juliette shared a smile, but let the subject drop. Marinette was quickly up, reapplying sunscreen and getting ready to jump into the pool. Most of the girls didn’t want to mess up their hair and make-up, but Marinette was hot and was ready to spend time in a place where her blush wasn’t as obvious. Plus, swimming is fun. 

Following her lead, Lucie, Sasha, Alice, Hanna, and Juliette jumped in and the girls passed the time waiting to talk to Adrien by racing, playing games like Categories and Chicken. The producers would let the girls know about 10 minutes before it was their turn to interrupt Adrien so they had plenty of time to dry off and look presentable for the camera. None of the girls seemed to care though, they were just enjoying their time in the pool. 

The sun was beginning to set and was doing beautiful things to the Paris sky, when someone new came rushing into the pool area and cannonballed right into the middle of where the girls were. They swam away quickly and were laughing when none other than Adrien Agreste himself surfaced. 

“Decided to join us in the fun?” Marinette called out, and Adrien spun towards her and grinned devilishly. She knew, thanks to all of that time spent with Chat Noir, that she needed to swim away. Fast. 

Marinette may have been small and fast, but Adrien’s length helped him to catch Marinette faster than she would have liked. The only consolation being that on dry land, Marinette knew she could outrun him. He grabbed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. Marinette had to twist her body to look at him. She was painfully aware of the fact that he had taken off his tank top and that his _bare skin_ was touching her. 

“I just wanted to see what all of the _shell_ -abrating was about.” Adrien said with a smile. Marinette however, laughed. 

“That was bad,” Marinette said with an eye roll and a smile. 

“Oh? Don’t you think my puns are _water_ ful?” Adrien’s eyes were dancing as he let her go and she twisted and backed up slightly so she could see him better. 

“They could use a little work for _shore_.” Marinette said, eyes twinkling. Adrien let out a genuine laugh and Marinette took that opportunity to splash him. That stopped his laughing very quickly. 

“Oh, you’re going to pay for that,” Adrien said with a gleam in his eye, though his tone was completely playful. 

Marinette teamed up with the other girls and they splashed until Adrien surrendered. He swam over to Marinette and shook on the defeat. “Since you won, would you mind if I stole you away from the party for a second?” Hanna and Juliette giggled as Marinette blushed again and nodded. 

Once they exited the pool, they were both handed very soft towels and were able to dry off a little as they walked to a spot created by the producers for them. There were more towels stationed there as well as some water, which Marinette took thankfully. They were seated on a wicker couch that had fluffy cushions placed on top. Marinette had pulled her legs up underneath her and Adrien sat close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. 

“How have you been since I last saw you?” Adrien asked, the concern clear in his voice. 

“I’ve been okay. I’ve mostly kept to myself, but I’ve had Hanna and Juliette to keep me company.” Marinette gave a slight smile. This week might have been horrible, but the fact that Adrien clearly cared about her wellbeing meant a lot to her. 

“Well I wanted to start by thanking you for the food earlier. I was starving by the time I reached your group and it was so nice to be able to eat something when everyone else ate.” Adrien reached out and placed a gentle hand on her knee and she had to keep herself from shaking with excitement. 

“I would do anything for you, Adrien,” she blurted, not thinking of the consequences of those words. “I mean, anything within reason,” Marinette rushed out, trying to cover her mistake. “I’m not going to do anything crazy like threaten people in bathrooms or anything...” Her voice trailed off as Adrien laughed. 

“I understood what you meant. I gave you your opportunity to confess, and so I’m taking your silence as you saying you’re telling the truth. I’m not going to hold that moment with Lila against you unless the video comes back with you being at fault.” 

Marinette ducked her head a little, but looked up at Adrien through her wet eyelashes. “I promise you Adrien I’m telling the truth. I’m glad we can put that whole fiasco behind us for now.” 

“Me too,” Adrien responded. She didn’t realize that he was so close until his lips were on hers. They were just as she remembered, soft, sweet, and mesmerizing. She melted slightly into the kiss and felt him respond to her. They stayed like that for a bit, until Adrien pulled away and smiled at her. “Thanks for letting me crash your pool party.” 

“It wasn’t my— wait, did you plan this because we had a pool party earlier this week?” Marinette asked, shock coloring her voice. 

“One of the producers casually mentioned it and I was bitter I wasn’t invited. So, I planned my own.” Adrien said, puffing his chest slightly with pride. 

Marinette, however, scoffed. “Mine was totally better.” Adrien looked offended, but Marinette could tell that he was faking.

\----------------------------------------------------

Chris Harrison appeared before too long and told the gathered group of girls that Adrien needed to go get ready for the rose ceremony, and they should as well. Adrien gave the girls one final wave and was whisked away, as Victoria stepped out and addressed the girls. “Normal rose ceremony attire is required, you have 1 hour to change and be downstairs.” It looked as though Lila was going to get to wear her pretty dress anyway.

Marinette rushed to get ready, all the while hoping that she would get a rose tonight. Adrien always seemed so into their conversations, even when they were private and away from the cameras, and she truly thought that she would be safe. She couldn’t help the flicker of doubt that ran through her though. What if he acted that way around all of the girls? How does anyone know whether they are safe or not? 

An hour later, Marinette was downstairs shaking, more nervous than when she left the cocktail party. Hanna and Juliette gave her quick hugs, assuming correctly her nervousness was because of the Lila fiasco from the group date. Lila seemed to think that as well because she wore a superior look and huffed away from her with her nose in the air and a superior smile on her face. 

Juliette was placed closer to the end of the group with the other rose holders. Lila seemed to be far away from Marinette in line, but when they all filed into the Rose Ceremony room, Lila ended up right behind Marinette. She could feel Lila’s eyes shooting daggers into the back of her head and had to try really hard to focus on what was happening at the front of the room. Adrien walked in, looking sharp in his suit set for the night. He walked up to the podium of roses (which Marinette counted and there were only 7 of) and smiled at the gathered girls. 

“This has been a tough week, because I have gotten to know you all very well and I feel as though these decisions become harder and harder. I want to thank you all for not giving up on me just yet and for your overabundant kindness through this whole journey. After that wonderful afternoon spent around the pool, I have a renewed sense of certainty that my wife is in the room right now. Thank you all for that.” He gave one last smile before reaching down and grabbing the first rose. He paused, as he always did before saying the first name. 

“Lila,” She heard an audible, “Excuse me,” and felt a nailed hand tap Marinette’s shoulder. She moved to the side and watched as Lila made her way over to Adrien, her confidence flowing through every pore of her body. “Lila, will you accept this rose?” Lila nodded and muttered something Marinette couldn’t hear. She then turned around, and the look of triumph on her face was clear, and it was aimed at Marinette. 

Marinette stared straight ahead and didn’t look at Lila as she made her way back to her spot. Adrien had picked up another rose and twirled it in his hand slightly. He looked up and said, “Marinette.” There was an audible gasp from directly behind her and Marinette didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Marinette was flooded with relief and made her way over to Adrien. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” 

Marinette nodded and whispered, “You know I always will,” before taking it and giving Adrien a hug. Her relief was short lived as she turned to walk back and saw the look of pure hatred that Lila wore on her face. She must have forgotten that there were cameras around, because she wasn’t even trying to hide it. Marinette’s eyes instead found Hanna’s, who was two people away from Lila and she gave Marinette a small thumbs up. 

Slowly, Adrien called more names and the roses disappeared on the table. Kagami, Hanna, Lucie, and Camille were all safe before Chris Harrison stepped back out of the shadows. “Ladies, Adrien, this is the final rose tonight. When you’re ready,” Chris touched Adrien gently on the shoulder and disappeared once more. Marinette knew without looking that Lily, Marie, Gabrielle, Sasha and Constance didn’t have roses. Her heart contracted, hoping that of all the girls, Sasha received the rose. There was a very long pause before Adrien reached down and grabbed the rose. 

“Sasha,” Marinette felt herself exhale slightly and yet it still hurt to see the others break down. Gabrielle did a wonderful job of keeping herself composed as Sasha walked past her to receive the final rose. “Sasha, will you accept this rose?” Sasha nodded and responded with “Of course,” before walking back to her spot. 

Chris once again reappeared. “Ladies, I’m sorry, if you did not receive a rose tonight, take a moment and say your goodbyes.” Marinette hugged all four of the girls going home and was trying very hard to not start crying. She wasn’t particularly close to any of the girls going home, but it still hurt to see them leave. 

Victoria stepped forward and called each girl one by one to say their goodbyes to Adrien. To the surprise of everyone except Marinette, he walked each of them out one by one, in conversation with them the whole way through. 

While Adrien was walking Lily, who was the last one, out, Marinette quickly counted all of the girls who were standing around with roses in their hands. 

Ten. There were ten girls left. Marinette felt her heart constrict when she realized that this must have been Gabriel’s Top 10. The only person who wasn’t supposed to be there was Marinette. It made her wonder which of the four girls who Adrien had just walked out was supposed to be in her place. Marinette shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts and when Adrien came back, they were given their glasses of champagne. Lucie was the one who stepped forward to give a toast, and Marinette noticed she wasn’t the only one to note the milestone. 

“To all of us who have made it this far, and to Adrien who does a wonderful job of making all of the hard decisions with grace. To the Top Ten!” All of the girls and Adrien repeated, “To the Top Ten,” Adrien’s eyes met Marinette’s and he shot her a wink. 

She blushed slightly, and when she averted her gaze from Adrien’s because of it, she noticed a tall man standing directly behind Adrien, hidden in the shadows of the film crew’s equipment. She recognized him and the look he was wearing was not a pleasant one. He wasn’t looking at Adrien though, as she would have expected. Instead, Gabriel Agreste was looking straight at her, and she knew that her continued time on the show hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

_Bring it on, Gabriel._


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I'm writing as often as I can (which isn't a lot lol), and I'm so excited to see what you guys think of what's coming next! As always, thank you so much for reading and your comments and kudos! They mean the world to me!

When Ladybug made it to patrol, she had a list of questions to be asked and no Chat Noir to ask them to. Ladybug was grateful for this patrol though, as the house was extremely quiet with only 10 girls living there. Zoe was a wreck once Gabrielle left and she couldn’t be consoled by anyone, not even Lucie. She was upset about Gabrielle leaving her alone, but also that Gabrielle would harbor hurt feelings about getting sent home before she had. She was more upset about potentially losing Gabrielle as a friend than possibly being sent home by Adrien, it seemed like. Marinette was just glad to escape the mansion, even for only a couple of hours. 

Chat showed up, 10 minutes late, and apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry, I was trying to work out the dates for next week and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep. _Someone_ decided not to wake me up in time for patrol.” Ladybug had to assume that that “someone” was Plagg, which only made her smile. 

“Well I’m glad you’re here _Chaton_ , I’ve been dying for the tea. So, spill.” Chat cocked his head to the side and his face was all scrunched in confusion. He looked so cute that Ladybug was distracted enough that she almost didn’t hear him speak. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Ladybug gave a sigh of annoyance, even though his obliviousness was only slightly annoying, before answering, “Your Father, dork. I saw him at the Rose Ceremony yesterday. Why was he there? What did he say to you?” 

Ladybug could see the dawn of understanding light his eyes, it was a look she loved to see, especially when he was correctly able to figure out her Lucky Charm without her having to explain it aloud. 

“Oh wow, you saw him? I didn’t even know he was there until Mini-Natalie showed me to an empty bedroom where he was waiting for me.” 

“Don’t leave anything out,” Ladybug urged, moving closer to him on the rooftop. “Tell me everything.” 

Chat nodded and dove into the story.

\----------------------------------------------------

“Come this way, Adrien,” Mini-Natalie instructed, walking down a hallway he had never been down before. He was pretty sure it led to the first set of bedrooms, but having all of the girl’s bedrooms off-limits, he had never come near this part of the mansion. Mini-Natalie turned into the first room on the hallway. Adrien had enough time to glance around the room, two dressers, bedside tables, and closets, one bed in the middle of the room, and a double glass doorway that lead to a part of the garden, where Adrien was allowed to sit with the girls and chat during normal cocktail parties. 

Any hope that he had of going back to the hotel to sleep early tonight because of the early Rose Ceremony was diminished when he saw who was standing in the room, clearly waiting for him. His Father. He knew this conversation was coming, he had just hoped it wouldn’t be tonight. 

“Good evening, Adrien.” His Father said coldly, gesturing for him to sit on the edge of the bed. He did as he was instructed and Gabriel sat down gingerly next to him. 

Adrien put on a small smile and summoned some of his inner Chat Noir, “Is there something you want to talk about? Normally I’m the one making appointments with your secretary to see you, not the other way around.” Gabriel was not amused and just sat there, taking Adrien in. Adrien couldn’t help himself from continuing. “How is Natalie, by the way? I haven’t seen her in some time and I am actually starting to miss her sad smile as she told me that you wouldn’t be able to join me for dinner or come to a fencing tournament.” Gabriel tensed at that but did not stop Adrien and he had no intention of stopping either. “In fact, I feel like this is the most I’ve been able to see you since Mother died. You’ve purposefully made time out of your day to sit and chat, even asking about my dating life,” the sarcasm was very clear in Adrien’s voice and he secretly hoped it was affecting his Father in some way. “You know, if you wanted to spend more time with me, you just had to ask, there was no need to concoct this whole dating show as a ‘promotional stunt’—”

“Adrien, that’s enough.” Gabriel cut him off, his voice razor sharp. “I did not call you in here to chat about nonsense. You have directly disobeyed my orders.” Adrien’s cheeks reddened, but he did not speak, all of his Chat Noir confidence gone. “I thought I made my feelings very clear on Miss Dupain-Cheng and yet she is still in the competition. Can you explain that for me, Adrien?” 

Adrien paused, trying to think of the best words to explain what he had been thinking. “I think she’s wonderful, Father. She is the most genuine girl on this show and she is constantly putting me and my needs first.” 

“You sound as though you are beginning to care for her?” 

Adrien felt butterflies flutter in his stomach as he thought about his feelings for Marinette. “Caring for her” didn’t cover everything that he felt. Thinking of Marinette smile and her laugh, of how adorable she looked in that swimsuit, and even how selflessly kind she was to not only invite him to eat with them, but when he had to turn her down, she offered to snag some food for him so he’d have a chance to eat. She was everything he could have ever hoped for in a girlfriend and in a wife. The only thing holding him back was he still wasn’t sure who Ladybug was, and if he fell in love with Marinette and she _wasn’t_ Ladybug, he would be screwed. 

“I think I’m falling in love with her, Father.” Adrien said at last, a lovesick smile spreading across his face. 

“Even though she physically injured another contestant and is using you for your last name?” 

The smile slipped off of his face and anger bubbled up inside him. “I don’t believe any of the things you’ve accused her of.” 

Gabriel stood up then, and turned to stand directly in front of Adrien. Never had he felt more like a child in his Father’s presence. “I honestly don’t think it’s for you to decide. If you would have done as I had originally instructed you to, the squabble with Miss Rossi would have never taken place.” 

“And I would have never been able to find the truth about Lila’s character either!” Adrien shot back, anger coloring his voice and moving him to stand up in front of his Father. 

“It is not Miss Rossi’s character that I care about, it is her position and her power that she brings to the table. She is a dangerous girl to make an enemy.” 

“So that’s what you care about? Position and power? Does that mean that Lila is your choice to win all of this? Is Lila the one I’m supposed to marry at the end of this?” 

Gabriel stared at Adrien, who was breathing heavily as though he had just run a marathon. The combination of the look his Father was giving him as well as the fact that he could possibly find out who Gabriel’s winner is supposed to be was making his heart beat fast in his chest. “You really haven’t looked at my list, have you?” 

Instead of responding verbally, Adrien just shook his head. 

“I will have that list delivered to you at once. You can no longer continue on this show with a blind eye.” Gabriel moved to the door and stuck his head out, whispering to whoever was out there. Adrien took that time to slow his breathing and calm down. Yelling at his Father had never ended well for him in the past. 

Gabriel leaned back and shut the door, straightening his tie and suit coat as he did. “To answer your question, no, Miss Rossi is not my chosen winner. You will find out soon enough. That is all, for now, Adrien. You are dismissed.” 

Adrien forced himself to walk towards the door instead of running like he yearned to do. When his hand was on the doorknob, Gabriel cleared his throat and reluctantly Adrien turned around. 

“You will find a way to get rid of Miss Dupain-Cheng. Do I make myself clear?” 

Turning back towards the door, Adrien turned the knob and left.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ladybug was in shock. She knew that Gabriel was mad about her staying, but she was still having trouble processing the story Chat had just told her. 

Hesitantly, she asked, “Did you get the list?” 

Chat looked up at her and nodded, and his eyes were full of sorrow and... _fear_. She had only seen that expression on his face a handful of times. Once when she jumped into the mouth of a T-Rex, and that day they fought the akuma Reverser, who turned her brave Kitty into a Scaredy-Chat. She immediately wanted to pull him into a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay and that she would fix it, but she knew that she couldn’t promise that this time. Instead, she settled by reaching out and grabbing his hand. 

“Have you looked at it?” she asked gently. He shook his head and reached into one of his many pockets on his suit with the hand she wasn’t holding. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. 

“I was hoping that you could look at it with me?” His hand was shaking and Ladybug reached out and grabbed the paper, her hand steady and unwavering. 

“I’ll do anything you want me to.” At that he smiled. 

She let go of his hand and slipped the paper out of his grasp holding it between both of hers. Slowly, she began to unfold the paper until it was fully displayed between them both. The first thing Ladybug noticed was that it was set up like a sports bracket, just as Plagg had described. The first round held all of the girls who remained in the competition now. Marinette’s name was even on there, though it had been scratched out with a pen and “Gabrielle” had been written above it. 

Ladybug let out a small gasp as she understood what that meant. She _had_ been on the Top Ten list, just as Plagg had thought. She also had been replaced, just as Gabriel had warned. Gabrielle was the one that Adrien sent home that should have stayed, and she felt a pang of sorrow for Gabrielle and the chance she didn’t know she should have had. 

Ladybug quickly glanced at Chat and noticed that his eyes were big as saucers. He was staring at the other end of the paper and she quickly skimmed through the rest of the bracket, noting that the final two were supposed to be Lila (ugh) and Lucie. Gabriel’s winner was sitting on a line by itself, and Ladybug’s jaw dropped when she saw that it indeed wasn’t Lila. Lucie Lyons was set to win Adrien’s heart, and Ladybug, who had never heard Lucie’s last name before, knew exactly why. 

“Oh my gosh, it all makes sense.” Ladybug marveled as Chat took his stunned look and turned it on her. 

“I... uh... what?” 

“Lucie! I never knew her last name, I just knew she was studying fashion because her Aunt owned a company. Her aunt must be Jenna Lyons! Jenna Lyons helped jumpstart the company J. Crew in the American fashion world! I knew Lucie had _huge_ connections in the fashion world and that she was most likely Gabriel’s favorite, but it makes sense! Agreste Fashion must be moving towards the American fashion industry.” It was just like with a Lucky Charm, she could see all of the pieces fitting together. Chat nodded along, as though he understood. 

He skimmed the paper again and then looked back up at Ladybug, a questioning look in his eyes. “Are you on the list?” 

Ladybug paused and almost didn’t answer. If she said no, he would know that she was Marinette. If she said yes, he would think that Marinette isn’t Ladybug and kick her off. She also, however, refused to lie to him, “Yes, my name is on this piece of paper.” It was a true statement, even if her name was _crossed off_. 

He looked slightly relieved and yet saddened at the same time. She decided to take a chance and ask him the one question that she has been dying to ask since he recounted the conversation with Gabriel. “Did you mean what you said, about falling in love with Marinette?” 

Chat looked slightly embarrassed and wouldn’t meet Ladybug’s eyes. Eventually he sighed, “Yes. It’s crazy because I still don’t have a clue who you are, and yet Marinette makes me so happy and I just want to spend all of my time with her and I have trouble having real conversations with the other girls because I’m too busy thinking about what I’m going to talk about with Marinette.” 

Ladybug felt her cheeks color and quickly turned away from Chat so he wouldn’t notice. He must have taken that as a sign that she was upset, because soon after she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. “I promise, Bug, once I know who you are, I’ll send Marinette home.” He sounded so sad and heartbroken over the idea that Ladybug wanted to turn around and detransform right then. Instead, she crossed her arms and listened. “That’s what my Father wants anyway. I—I’ll send her home and focus all of my attention on you and getting to know you outside of the mask.” She quickly touched her face to see if her cheeks were still red before turning around to face him. She tried to make her face look solemn but she had an idea and it was going to cheer him up, she just knew it. 

“I’ll promise you this. Next week, you tell me who you think I am, and right or wrong, I’ll tell you my true identity.” 

She hadn’t been wrong, the look on his face was joyful and his smile was brighter than the sun. Her heart leaped inside her chest at the thought that _she_ was the one to make him so happy. That just the promise of knowing her identity could make him shine with happiness. 

“You really mean it?” 

“I really do.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette woke up Monday morning and was nervous. She couldn’t figure out why until she remembered her conversation with Chat the night before and how she had promised to share her identity soon. 

Her conversation with Tikki hadn’t gone as well. Thankfully, Tikki agreed that with the games that Gabriel was playing, Adrien needed to know who she was sooner rather than later. 

Marinette got ready that morning knowing a date card would be presented after breakfast. Remembering what Adrien had said, she wondered if this date card was going to be for Lila or for some other girl. Either way she knew that Lila was going to be unbearable. 

Not much had changed since Saturday night. Zoe was still a mess, but Camille and Lucie were working hard to make her presentable enough for the cameras. Marinette knew that Zoe just needed a little bit more time to realize that everything was going to be okay, but she was still worried about Gabrielle hating her when she arrived back home. 

The ten of them headed towards the Date Card room, and as always, Juliette and Hanna were by her side, making sure no one dared to say something mean to her. Right as they were sitting down, a producer came up to Marinette and told her she would be the one to gather the date card from the door. The three girls made sure they sat on the edge of the couch so Marinette could escape easily. 

When the knock came, Marinette swiftly went to collect it. She opened the large front door and saw the card sitting, folded and sealed, on the welcome mat. She walked back into the Date Card room, feeling the heavy parchment and itching to open it up. She walked in and announced the date card, just as every other girl had, and quickly broke the seal. She opened the card fully and felt her heart sink. _They would make me do this, those evil bastards_. She put on a fake smile and a cheerful voice and read off, “Lila,” 

Marinette knew that Lila was a wonderful actress thanks to the incident in the bathroom at the last group date. However, Lila didn’t want to be a wonderful actress today, apparently. Her reaction to her name being read off was one of the worst performances she had ever seen. And she had watched Nino trying to act as Chat Noir with Alya for a school project. 

“Oh my gosh, it’s for me?” She said with a high-pitch voice. Her hand was on her heart and her face showed a look of surprise, though her smile still made Marinette’s skin crawl. 

Marinette swallowed her frustration and continued to read the card, “I think you may soon have my _hole_ heart?” 

Lila was a little taken back by the line and quickly came up and snatched the card out of Marinette’s hands. She happily gave it up and sat back down in her spot on the couch. The producers quickly grabbed Lila for an interview while the rest of the girls commented on Lila getting the one-on-one for the cameras. 

Marinette ignored all of the questions and made sure to avoid Lila for the rest of the day. Hanna and Juliette were frustrated by Lila’s date as well and did a wonderful job of distracting her by playing all of the different video games that the mansion had on stock. Ever since the video game date with Adrien, the producers thought the girls needed to work on their skills, and Marinette had been teaching the others how to play properly in their spare time. Marinette was still the best, but Hanna was surprisingly good at the games as well. 

“I think the best thing to take away from the date card this morning,” Juliette was saying while trying to battle Hanna, and not succeeding, “is that we have an entire Lila free day tomorrow.” 

Hanna cheered as the TV announced that she was the winner. Marinette turned to Juliette, “You’ve got a good point, it’s going to be nice not having her around. Although you should probably talk less during matches or you’re going to keep losing.” Juliette stuck her tongue out at Marinette as Hanna started doing a goofy victory dance around the room. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at both of them. 

Tuesday morning meant that Lila was off, but her date got delayed because she refused to pack. Every girl that goes away on a one-on-one has to pack up all their stuff in case they get sent home instead of receiving a rose. It makes it easier for the producers to gather their stuff as she gets driven to the airport. Lila, claiming that there was no way she would get sent home, refused to pack and Victoria finally had to just let her go or she claimed, “The girl was never going to make it to her date with Adrien.” 

As soon as she was gone, the nine other girls were gathered in the Date Card room for the group date announcement for the next day. Kagami was chosen to read off the date card, and Marinette was the most relaxed she had ever been at a date card reading, knowing that there was no way she’d have a one-on-one. Gabriel would make sure of it. 

Kagami was professional and didn’t squeal or show excitement over the two date cards in her hands. Instead she opened the one labeled “Group,” and began reading, as if she was calling roll for a classroom. 

“Alice... Juliette... Camille... Zoe... Lucie... Hanna... Kagami...” Kagami didn’t even react when she read her own name. Marinette’s heart rate picked up and her hands were suddenly very sweaty. Hanna had grabbed one hand and Juliette had grabbed the other. Across the couch, Sasha was looking just as nervous and anxious as Marinette was, wondering which of their names would be spoken, and which would be going on the one-on-one. Marinette tried not to get her hopes up, knowing that there was no way Gabriel would allow Adrien to have alone time with her. 

Kagami paused until a producer told her to continue and she finally read, “Sasha,” off of the card. 

Marinette was so shocked she didn’t react. Everything disappeared as she came to terms with the fact that she was finally, _finally_ going to have a one-on-one with Adrien. After four group dates and Gabriel pushing the two of them apart, Marinette was going to get to go on a date with her _Chaton_. 

Marinette tuned back into reality when she heard her name spoken, this time being read off of the second date card that Kagami had collected. “Let’s _seas_ the day.” 

Marinette immediately thought back to the water puns that Adrien had made at the pool party Saturday and realized that she must be doing something with water. She started planning in her head exactly what she was going to bring and all that she was going to prepare for. Once they were dismissed, all of the girls congratulated Marinette on her one-on-one, including Sasha. 

Marinette helped everyone pick out their outfits for their group date the next day and felt as light as a feather, floating around from room to room. In 48 hours, she was going to be with Adrien, just the two of them, and she _wasn’t_ going to have to share. It was going to be the best day of her life!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! VERY excited about this chapter and I hope you enjoy! 😁

To say Lila was intolerable when she came back late that night was an understatement. She gushed about how amazing Adrien was and how gentlemanly he was and she even admitted that they got a “little carried away” in their make-out session and “accidentally” made it to second base. Marinette didn’t believe a word of it. 

The next morning was a little awkward. Marinette had woken up to see Juliette and Hanna off and then went to eat breakfast. As she was eating, Lila came down the stairs into the kitchen. 

“What are you doing here?” she sneered as she grabbed a piece of bread and began to nibble on it. Lila was clearly not expecting cameras this morning because her face was completely clean of make-up, and her brown hair hung limply around her head in an unflattering way. 

“I’m not going on the date,” Marinette said, trying to keep any malice out of her voice. 

“Why not? Decided to give up trying to fight me for Adrien?” 

Marinette rolled her eyes and responded calmly, “No, I plan to fight for him tomorrow on my one-on-one.” 

Lila dropped the bread she was holding. 

She violently turned towards where Marinette was sitting and braced her hands on the counter in a way that she probably thought was menacing. “Your what?” 

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling. She had purposefully not told Lila that she had the one-on-one today and it seemed as though no one else thought to mention it as well. Either that, or Lila never asked. The sheer dumbfounded look on Lila’s face made it totally worth it. 

“My one-on-one. I think it has something to do with water, based on the date card. Didn’t yours only involve a round of golf?” 

Lila was positively fuming. Although she gushed about the nighttime portion of her date, she reluctantly said that she and Adrien had spent the whole day playing golf, which didn’t lead to a lot of touching or kissing and therefore didn’t make a good enough story to gush about. 

“Well whatever it is, I’m sure it’s just a pity date. He’ll probably send you home afterwards and the producers will have to come and pick up your bags.” Lila flicked her un-styled hair behind her, as if it made her look more glamorous. “After you’re gone, there will be no one to stop me from winning.” 

The phrasing Lila used was infuriating. “Whatever you say,” was all Marinette could mumble before she ran upstairs to hang out in her room. 

She didn’t run into Lila again for the rest of the day, even when she ventured downstairs to play video games by herself. The house felt completely empty and it made her skin crawl. Once everyone came home, Lucie in possession of the group date rose, Marinette allowed about half of the girls to drag Marinette to her room to help her pick out outfits for the next day. Once the perfect dress, swimsuit (one of the producers had let slip to Marinette that she would need to pack one) and daytime outfit was picked, everyone except Hanna and Juliette rushed off to bed, chatting excitedly. 

“Are you nervous?” Juliette asked as she gathered up Marinette’s shoes. The two girls were helping her pack their bags, a tradition they had started the night before Hanna’s one-on-one all those weeks ago. It helped make the possibility of going home seem smaller with them there to help her pack. 

“Not really. I’m honestly just so excited to have him all to myself.” Both girls nodded in agreement, a look of understanding on their faces that felt like a punch to the stomach. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that they were all dating the same guy. And other times, it was hard to ignore that they were all fighting for the same prize. 

Marinette barely slept that night, fretting over all of the possible things that could go wrong or how she was going to trip and embarrass herself in front of Adrien and the cameras. Morning came quicker than she expected and before she knew it, she was being poked awake by Tikki and was numbly dressing into the outfit that had been picked out for her by the girls the night before. 

After dragging her suitcase downstairs and leaving it in the main hall, she gave Hanna and Juliette a quick hug before rushing out of the door, an apple for breakfast in hand.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was 15 minutes into the drive before she finally got up the nerve to say something.

“Where are we going?” Marinette asked the driver tentatively. She was fully prepared for him not to answer, but she was also aware of the fact that there was no way she was still in Paris. 

“You’ve got a special treat today,” the driver answered with a smile. “The producers swung to get you and Adrien out of town for the day.” He gave Marinette a genuine smile, which she returned quickly, before sitting back in her seat. The black SUV with tinted windows was more comfortable than the vans they transported a group of girls in, but it was too quiet for Marinette’s preference. At least she was able to talk with Tikki quietly without any of the girls giving her odd looks. 

“Tikki, if I’m leaving Paris...” 

“You can’t be there in case an akuma attacks.” Tikki finished, knowing what Marinette was worrying about. 

“What should I do?” 

“Well it’s not good for both you and Adrien to be out of town. I’m not going to ask you to not go on the date, that would be too suspicious. Plagg may not think to do this, but the safest thing would be for me to go to Master Fu’s in case anything happened. If there’s an akuma, we can’t have Ladybug too far away. Too many people could get hurt.” 

Marinette nodded, knowing Tikki was right, but the idea of letting Tikki leave her side still hurt. “Do you need the earrings?” 

Marinette made to take them off, but Tikki stopped her. “Don’t worry. I can work without them.” Tikki took a risk and flew up to touch Marinette on the cheek. “Have fun, and I want to know everything that happens when you get back, okay?” 

Marinette nodded, not risking speaking in case she started to cry. She hadn’t been this far apart from Tikki in almost 7 years, and the thought of her leaving was almost too much. She cupped Tikki to her cheek and watched her as she phased through the window and out of the car. 

For the first time in 7 years, Marinette was utterly and completely alone.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette jerked awake when the car came to a stop. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the last 20 minutes of the drive was quiet and the slow hum of the car lulled her to the sleep she couldn’t find last night.

When she looked out the window, she noticed that she was no longer in Paris. She passed a sign that said, “Jablines” but wasn’t sure where that was. There weren’t many buildings around and the road wasn’t as crowded as it normally was in Paris. Marinette had a feeling this was considered a small town and, from what she could see from the window, thought the place had some charm to it. 

She still didn’t understand the purpose of this trip until the car stopped in front of what could only be described as a beach. Marinette climbed out of the car and felt her jaw drop. It was perfect. It was sunny, the sand looked inviting, and the water was the perfect shade of blue, not too clear but not as mucky as the Seine. 

Marinette waited for instructions, but none came. As she squinted a little closer, she noticed that there was only one person on the beach, and she had a feeling that it was going to be a certain someone with messy blond hair and heart-stopping green eyes. 

Marinette realized she was running only once her feet hit the sand and she had trouble keeping her balance. She had never truly been on a beach before, neither of her parents preferring it nor wanting to leave the bakery to go to one, and Marinette was overwhelmed by the feeling of sand between her toes and the call of the water coming constantly closer to the edge. 

Once her eyes locked on the figure ahead, she forgot about the beauty of the beach. This was why she was here, this is what made dealing with Lila and putting up with all of the drama worth it. Adrien lit up when he made eye contact with her and she felt the smile she was wearing grow bigger. She ran towards him and launched herself into his arms, knowing without a doubt that he would catch her. As soon as they touched, they were kissing and Marinette was content at letting this moment last forever. 

“Hi” Adrien said once they broke apart, his smile shining brighter than the sun. “I’m so excited to see you today.” 

Marinette felt at home in Adrien’s arms. The way he casually held her right now just content looking at her made her melt and she was worried she would turn into a puddle and flow right into the ocean. When she was standing with her _Chaton_ , even though he didn’t know it was her, it made her realize that she would never be alone, even if Tikki wasn’t there. 

“I’m so happy to see you Adrien.” She said, her smile growing just a little bigger. He picked her up slightly, and she wrapped her legs around his hips to steady herself as his lips found hers once again. Barely a minute into their date and they already were having trouble staying focused. They were allowed to kiss for about a minute more before a producer cleared his throat and gave Adrien a pointed look. 

“Anyway,” he started, a slight blush covering his cheeks. Marinette could feel hers burn as well and knew that they both must look ridiculous. “you’re probably wondering why I brought you all the way out here.” Marinette nodded, not wanting to break up his speech. “Well, I never get to go to the beach just for fun, there’s always some sort of photoshoot happening, and since you always offer to make my life a little more normal every time you’re around, I felt as though it would be appropriate to have a casual day at the beach with you.” 

Marinette’s hand automatically covered her heart as she felt her heartbeat quicken. He was perfect. Absolutely perfect. He wanted to experience this with her, and make this the memory he thought of when he remembered his one casual day at the beach. Marinette felt herself blush once again as she spoke up, trying to be heard over the waves, “You know, I’ve never actually been to a beach before.” Adrien’s eyes widened in shock and Marinette felt as though she had to explain. “My parents don’t like to leave the bakery for too long, and so we’ve just never taken a trip. I don’t get out of Paris much...” she trailed off, her thoughts going to Tikki. A sudden sliver of fear ran through her heart. _What if there was an akuma right now and both Ladybug and Chat Noir are having a casual day at the beach making out_. She physically shook her head, trying to clear away the negative. Tikki’s got this covered and there is no reason to worry. 

When Marinette snapped back to her senses, and the beautiful boy standing in front of her, she realized that he seemed to be beaming even more now than before. 

“Well then, Marinette, let me help you become an expert beach-goer.” 

And he did just that. 

After a brief amount of time where Marinette was allowed to change into her swimsuit underneath her clothes, the duo did everything imaginable at the beach. It turns out that the crew rented out the whole beach for the day, so it was only going to be the two of them. They built sand castles and Marinette laughed as Adrien’s was swept away by the ocean before he finished, but Marinette’s remained untouched. They buried a producer in the sand and even were able to find some kites and fly those around. Eventually, Marinette worked up the nerve to push Adrien into the water. Everything changed after that. 

Their clothes were shed and only their swimsuits remained. They were running and splashing each other and Marinette was worried she wouldn’t have enough air in her lungs to breath with all the laughing she was doing. 

Eventually they were pulled out of the water, dried off, and mic’d, and forced to sit down and chat about their relationship while eating, and yet trying not to eat a beachside picnic. 

“Marinette, this has been the most fun I’ve had on a date so far,” Adrien said, gazing at Marinette in a way that made her blush. That was a pretty high compliment from someone who has been speed dating 30 girls in the past 5 weeks. 

“It has been really fun. But I think my favorite was kicking your butt at Ultimate Mecha Strike.” Adrien burst out laughing and Marinette couldn’t help but join. 

“That was a lot of fun, but I still think I could beat you in a different setting.” Marinette snorted, and Adrien had the gall to look offended. “What? You don’t think I could take you on?” 

“I think you could try really really hard,” Adrien was laughing again and slightly tackled Marinette, who was laughing again too. She was suddenly aware of the way it felt to have Adrien on top of her, the way his skin, not covered in a leather suit, felt touching hers, also not covered in leather. The way that he didn’t seem to bear any weight on her. Up close, his eyes were even prettier. Marinette knew that if she had the time, she could stare into those eyes and never get bored. And those eyes seemed to be staring back at her. He gently leaned down farther, until their lips were almost touching. They were sharing the breath, and Marinette could feel his lips on hers. 

“You know I really really like you,” Adrien whispered. Marinette didn’t answer, as her body was screaming to kiss him again. “Marinette, I want to take you to the end. I really think you could be it for me.” Marinette’s breath caught and she looked deeper into those eyes searching for the hesitation he must have, not knowing that she was Ladybug. 

“I think you could be it for me too, Adrien.” Marinette whispered back. Instead of responding, he closed the small gap between them and kissed her once more. This one got a little steamier, especially with them lying down on the beach, which had always seemed so romantic. The thing that broke the moment was a pain in her back as the pair shifted slightly, jamming Marinette’s mic pack into her spine. 

She broke them apart and smiled at him. They sat up remembering that there were not only people watching, but recording their every move and word. Adrien seemed to understand Marinette’s sudden discomfort and asked one of the producers to take their mics off so they could get back into the water. 

They traveled far enough into the water that it went up to about Marinette’s waist, Adrien’s upper thighs. They could stand, but it was too far for the cameras to pick up any sound unless they shouted. It was as much privacy as they would get. 

“Marinette, I have to tell you something,” Adrien said, pulling her close and turning her so that the cameras couldn’t see either of them very well. They were just far enough in the water that the waves didn’t jostle the couple too much, so it wasn’t difficult to stand in one place and fully focus on Adrien. 

“Marinette, I—I—I love you.” She was almost too shocked to say anything back. 

“You do?” was all she could say. He didn’t know that she was Ladybug, didn’t know that she knew exactly who he was. And yet. 

“Yes, of course I love you. You are the only one that has even come close to capturing my heart on this whole journey and I knew that I needed to tell you today, in a way that not everyone could hear just yet. This was something I wanted to do privately first.” 

Marinette was so stunned, she got knocked over by a wave. 

In hindsight, she should have seen it coming. She was freaking Ladybug for goodness sakes and she could have held her ground or at least her balance. Instead, she was so busy staring at Adrien. This boy, who just confessed that he loved her, even though he only knew half of her. Even though he also wanted to pursue whoever Ladybug is. This boy, who unknowingly had the opportunity to get to know _both_ sides of her and still choose Marinette over Ladybug. She was so overwhelmed with love and emotion that, yes, she got knocked over by a wave. 

Adrien’s reflexes were quick though and he grabbed her and held her steady, waving off the crew that was rushing to come save her. After coughing a little bit, she stood up straight and faced the man she loved, and who loved her in return, with a hesitant smile. 

He matched her smile with one of his signature Chat Noir ones, and Marinette knew that a pun was coming. “ _Water_ you doing getting caught in that wave? Weren’t you paying atten- _sea_ -on?” Adrien looked so proud of himself for those two lines, but Marinette, still slightly caught off guard by the love announcement and the wave-attack and therefore not thinking straight, groaned and rolled her eyes. 

Adrien physically took a step back, letting his hands drop to his side. He looked hurt, and yet... pensive. “You don’t like my puns?” 

Marinette just looked sheepishly at the ground. 

Marinette watched as the gears seemed to turn in his head. She could only imagine what he was thinking, but after a minute, his face turned all serious and he looked her right in the eye as he asked her, more like told her, “You’re Ladybug, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just _love_ cliffhangers 😉


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait (and the mean cliff hanger lol), but I hope this chapter makes up for it :)

Adrien had figured it out. There were so many things that he loved about Ladybug, that he saw in Marinette. At first, he thought it was just because he was projecting Ladybug’s qualities onto Marinette because of the hair and the eyes. But, as he got to know her, he realized that she really was genuine, sweet, and very smart. She was cool under fire and could stand up to his Father better than he could. She was solid and made Adrien feel important and that he mattered to someone. Also, she was insanely friendly, and Adrien had seen Ladybug befriend almost everyone, including akuma victims right after they were deakumatized. He also knew that something about the way she tasted, the feel of her when he hugged her struck a familiar nerve. He just figured it was because he was starting to love Marinette like he loved Ladybug. That would obviously make sense why he would feel those things. The lip gloss was another sign, but any girl could wear the same strawberry lip gloss. That wasn’t a give-away. Not even the fact that she was the only contestant from France, convinced Adrien that Marinette was Ladybug. He just assumed that Ladybug could have lied on their application to make it more difficult for Adrien to figure it out. 

No, the thing that convinced him, that completely sold him on the idea that Marinette was Ladybug was the dislike of puns. Adrien had never paid close enough attention to see Marinette react to one, but with Ladybug, he had. She always groaned and rolled her eyes _exactly_ as Marinette had, especially when the puns were in the middle of a fight and what Ladybug would call “bad timing.” (Personally, Adrien thought all the time was the perfect time for puns, but that’s another day’s problem.) It was this moment, watching Marinette respond to his perfectly placed beach puns that clicked the final gear into place and made Adrien see the light. Suddenly, he couldn’t ignore all of the evidence staring down at him that screamed that Marinette was Ladybug. If Plagg were here and not with Master Fu, (in case an akuma hit while he was out of Paris) he would have grunted a “Finally,” and sarcastically applauded for him. 

When Adrien looked back at Marinette, his face deadly serious with the question he had _almost asked her once before_ on his lips, he didn’t hesitate, “You’re Ladybug, aren’t you?” 

Marinette blanched. Adrien was dumbfounded at how he didn’t see it before. Everything about her personality _screamed_ Ladybug. “I—um... I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Yeah, that was his Lady. 

Adrien didn’t know what else to say, he just stood there, grinning like an actual idiot. Marinette and Ladybug were _the same person_! This was like the answer to his prayers, his dream coming to life. He almost had a half a mind to ask Marinette to pinch him right now, but he felt as though that would make him seem uncool. 

Suddenly, every single time he had ever made a fool of himself in front of Ladybug flashed before his eyes, and he had to physically shake his head to make the torrent of embarrassing moments stop. 

When he focused back on the present he was struck by how nervous Marinette looked. The confidence of Ladybug was gone, and Adrien’s heart immediately contracted. He had to make her better, had to make her smile, something, _anything_ other than this nervous scared look she had on her face right then. 

“Marinette, what’s wrong?” 

She visibly swallowed before she spoke, “You’re not upset, are you?” 

It was Adrien’s turn to blanch. “Upset? Why would I be upset? This is the best day of my life! The girl I love in the suit and the girl I love on this god forsaken show are the same person! How could I ever be upset?” 

Marinette still looked sheepish and wouldn’t meet his eyes, “But... I lied to you. A lot. During that last akuma attack, when you showed me the top 10 list. I felt as though I did a lot of hiding and lying to protect my identity.” 

Adrien had forgotten about all of those moments, too overcome with happiness that _Marinette is Ladybug_ but he still couldn’t find it in him to be upset, even though he hated lying. 

“Marinette,” she didn’t look up when he said her name, so he gently placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up until his eyes met those enchanting blue ones. “I have known you for seven years of my life, and it takes a lot for me to be upset with you. Trust me when I say, this makes me so much happier than I ever could have imagined. If I could get down on one knee and propose to you right now I would.” Her eyes grew wide at that statement and he had a slight moment of terror where he realized that may not be something she wanted. “It’s you, Marinette. It’s always been you.” 

Marinette’s eyes glistened with tears and he bent down the rest of the way to where their lips connected. The kiss was chaste, but meaningful as he felt the tears slip down Marinette’s cheeks. 

When they broke apart, Adrien pulled her into a bone crushing hug, noticing for the first time that the producers were trying to wave them back to the beach. Marinette seemed in better spirits and was even smiling and laughing with him as they walked back hand in hand. 

“How did you figure it out?” Marinette asked, her voice once again confident and beautiful. 

Adrien felt himself smirk and saw Marinette roll her eyes in response. “The puns. Ladybug hates them. You rolled your eyes when I made my puns back there absentmindedly and that was kind of when all of the pieces clicked together.” 

Marinette hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I was _so careful_ during these past 5 weeks to not show any sign of my dislike for your puns. I even used that as my first impression for you, knowing that you like the damned things so much.” Adrien laughed at the memory. He was still slightly embarrassed that he forgot to ask for her name, but looking back he should have known that the girl who could pun her way into his heart could only be his Lady. 

“Man, we make quiet the pair, don’t we?” Adrien asked as they reached the beach. A swarm of producers surrounded them and the couple was told that it was time to start getting ready for the evening portion of the date. 

Adrien turned to Marinette, refusing to let go of her hand just yet. “Thank you for an amazing day at the beach.” 

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” Marinette gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and being whisked away by the producers.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was dropped off at a hotel in Jabline that was right next to the beach where Adrien had discovered she was Ladybug. She was led by a producer to a back patio that was well lit and showed the moonlight shimmering on the water. 

Thankfully it was warm outside, as Marinette was wearing a dark red cotton dress that stopped at her knees. The neckline of the dress was straight across and the sleeves hugged her arms as an off the shoulder that was even with the neckline. The bodice was tight and showed off the top of her curves, but the skirt flourished out a little at her hips. The skirt itself had a small high-low to it and Marinette shivered in the slight breeze, very aware of how much skin was showing. 

She was instructed to wait by the doorway, and Adrien would come and escort her in when it was time for the date to start. She waited only a couple of minutes before Adrien turned the corner and was walking towards her. Someone must have given him the hint of what color tie to wear, because his slick black suit was accented with a red tie the same shade as her dress. He was beaming at her and just seeing him, looking at her like that, as if they were the only two in the whole world, made her blush. 

He gently wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her into a hug. His lips were covered by her hair, which was curled and slightly poofy, and whispered, “You look absolutely stunning tonight,” which caused Marinette to blush even more. 

He leaned away from her and took her hand, twining his fingers in with hers. “What are we going to talk about tonight?” Marinette looked at him, slightly confused by what he was meaning. Thankfully, Adrien explained. “Normally on one-on-one dates, during the night portion the girl talks about something personal they wanted to tell me in order to deepen our relationship.” He’s eyes twinkled slightly and she could tell that he’d been waiting to say this all night. “Since I already know everything about you, what are you going to ‘surprise’ me with. I want to make sure I have the appropriate face ready.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her in a move that _screamed_ Chat Noir. She shoved him slightly before responding. 

“Well I was planning on bringing up the whole Gabriel conversation, since according to the cameras, I haven’t had that conversation with you. I was also going to just talk about my love of fashion and whatnot.” He still had the stupid smirk on his face, and Marinette was tempted to kiss it off. “That’s all you're getting from me, Kitty.” She flicked his nose playfully and Adrien busted out a laugh. 

“It’s still so surreal. I was thinking about what I discovered on the beach,” _He means finding out I’m Ladybug_ she screamed inside, still in shock that it happened at all this way, “and I just couldn’t believe it. Even hearing you call me that, it still feels like a dream.” He gazed at her as if _she_ was his dream and she had to remind herself that it wasn’t weird, because Adrien was her dream too. 

“Well, sorry to burst your bubble but it’s real. I’m real. I’m here for you and whatever else this show has in store for us,” Marinette squeezed his hand reassuringly. 

Adrien had opened his mouth to respond when a producer, the one who had walked her to her meeting with Gabriel came up behind them, “Save all the lovey-dovey shit for the cameras, please. We start rolling in 30 seconds.” 

“Thank you, Mark.” Adrien responded, not taking his eyes off of Marinette. They turned towards the cameras, which would record the two of them walking in and having “casual” conversation, before sitting and having the personal conversation that was expected of her. 

“Action!” Someone yelled from near where all the cameras were and Marinette allowed Adrien to pull her forward starting up an easy conversation about their date location as he pulled out her chair for her to sit in. She sat, thanking him while smoothing out her skirt. She was suddenly very aware of the cameras watching her from multiple angles and her palms got a little sweaty for no reason. Thankfully, when she looked up, all she could see was Adrien’s face smiling at hers, and it allowed her to relax slightly. 

“I had so much fun on our date this afternoon,” Adrien started and gave Marinette’s hand under the table, which he had reclaimed after sitting down, a squeeze. 

“I did too,” Marinette responded, very aware of how lame she sounded. She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ , that didn’t make her sound like some dumb girl when Adrien carried on the conversation. 

“I absolutely _adore_ that dress you are wearing.” He said, with another squeeze of her hand. “Did you design it?” 

Marinette gave him a hesitant look, but Adrien gave her a slight nod and a smile, urging her to take his bait and run with it. “Actually, no this is one of your Father’s pieces. It is stunning, though. Your dad is really good at what he does.” 

“I’ve also heard that your designs are amazing as well.” Adrien asked, no worry about broaching this subject on his face or in his voice. He looked the most confident she had ever seen him outside of the mask. “Is it true that the shirt you wore on the video game date was one you designed?” 

Marinette swallowed before nodding. 

“It was really well designed. I honestly thought it was a Gabriel. You have a lot of talent.” 

Marinette smiled at the compliment and continued on with the conversation they planned. “I aspire to be like your Father one day. Your Father actually confronted me about that shirt.” Adrien’s face reacted perfectly, as if he was hearing this information for the first time. “That was the night I disappeared from the group date. He had pulled me aside and asked me questions about the shirt and why I had worn it.” 

“Why did you wear it?” Adrien asked, right on cue. 

“I woke up late that morning and grabbed the first shirt I found to wear for the date. I brought it with me to the mansion because it helps inspire me when I am designing new clothes. All of the girls here have been such an inspiration as well, but it’s still nice to see a shirt that I designed that I really like to help remind me that this is what I want to do, even when it seems hard.” 

Adrien’s face had softened and his smile was genuine as he reached out and grabbed her other hand that had been resting on the table. He began rubbing small circles on the back of her hand and she felt excited tingles ripple through her body. 

“I’m sorry you had to deal with my Father in that way. He can be a little tough to handle. I’ve had a lot of hard conversations with him during this show, but I’m glad you were able to make your voice heard.” Marinette smiled, but she still had something that had been bothering her, and now felt like as good a time as any to bring it up. 

“One of the girls found out about that conversation.” Adrien’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and she knew that he was no longer playing along with the conversation. “With your father. Someone knew that it had happened, and that was why the girls were claiming that I wasn’t there for the ‘right reasons’ at that cocktail party.” 

Adrien’s eyes gave away that he understood a little, but he still seemed slightly confused. “Someone knew about the conversation? About what it was concerning?” 

Marinette racked her brain, trying to remember exactly what Lila had said that night. “I don’t think she knew the topic of conversation, but she knew who I had the conversation with and made assumptions.” 

“Well that’s.... interesting.” Once again, Marinette could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to make sense of this information. 

“I know I’ve told you before that I really am here for you, but I just wanted to make it even clearer. I am here for you, Adrien and only you. I may want to work in fashion and your Father’s company is amazing, but I would never use you to start working for your Father, as the girl at the cocktail party insinuated. I would rather start up a rival company and work as your competition than use you to boost my career and earn an internship with Gabriel.” 

Adrien looked slightly taken back by her words and she was worried she had gone too far, but his smile returned, genuine and sweet. “You really mean that?” Adrien asked, his voice full of hope and love for _her_. 

“I really do.” She smiled shyly, but the words kept coming, full of confidence, “If we make it through this show, and you end up picking me, I’d love for you to be with me as I embark on my fashion journey. But, I don’t want to use you to achieve my dream, like your Fa—like other people may have used you in the past.” Her blush returned and she was internally freaking out. She had almost called out _Gabriel freaking Agreste_ on the way he treated his son on TELEVISION! It was too late now to do anything about the comment, but she prayed that the producers would somehow edit it out and not allow Gabriel to know about it.

“Do you think you’ll take over the company when you’re old enough?” Marinette asked on a whim, talking too fast and trying to cover up the mistake she had just made. 

Adrien, who had obviously heard the slip and had decided to ignore it, paused slightly before answering, clearly thinking about his answer. “Maybe. If Father asks me to, I will, but that’s never been my dream. Plus, I can’t design anything for the life of me, so he’d have to hire someone to continue that part of the company.” 

Marinette smiled, suddenly thinking about what it would look like if she really did marry Adrien. He could run the business side, which is what he was forced to study in university, and she could design for the company. They would ride to and from work together and after they were finished for the day, they would ride together to pick up their three children from daycare or wherever and go back to their house, where their hamster and maybe a cat were waiting and cook dinner together. Then they would put the kids to sleep and curl up on the couch and watch a movie together and—

“Marinette?” 

Marinette snapped back to reality and blushed. She was suddenly glad no one could read her thoughts and she had to compose herself before she asked Adrien what he had said. 

Adrien gave her a smile that was slightly mischievous before responding, “What were you thinking about?” 

Marinette blushed even deeper and tried to play it off, “That couldn’t possibly be the question you had asked me.” 

“It wasn’t,” Adrien’s smile grew, and his eyes were twinkling. “I just want to know what’s going on in your head. You seemed really happy, whatever you were thinking about.” 

Marinette stared at Adrien for a beat, blue eyes meeting green. She could see him begging her to be candid with him, and she was trying to tell him that it was embarrassing, before she sighed and explained. “I was thinking about what it would be like, to have a future...” her throat was suddenly dry, but she remembered the comment he had made on the beach when he found out she was Ladybug. _If I could get down on one knee right now and propose to you I would_. “... with you. I just had a snapshot into what life would be like if you really end up choosing me at the end of this.” 

Adrien’s face softened, the teasing in his eyes had turned to something much sweeter. “Did you like what you saw?” Adrien almost whispered. 

“I did,” Marinette whispered back. They shared a moment where they just stared at each other, soaking in the possibility of a future and kids and their whole lives together ahead of them. They had unconsciously leaned towards each other and were mere inches apart. 

“It looks like I stood up to my dad for the right person,” he whispered and her blush darkened as he closed the space between them and his lips met hers. These kisses were light and gentle, nothing like the ones they had shared at the end of the picnic. But it was refreshing and sweet to be treated like something valuable and fragile, especially with him knowing how much stronger she actually was thanks to her Miraculous. 

They broke apart quickly, and Adrien smiled at her. He reached over to the other side of the table and grabbed something off of a plate. She hadn’t realized that it had been sitting there, but when Adrien lifted the rose into the air, she suddenly remembered why they were there in the first place. 

“Marinette, thank you so much for talking about the hard stuff and just being completely honest with me. I have loved our time together and you would make me the happiest guy at this hotel if you would please accept this rose.” 

Marinette laughed a little and smiled. “Absolutely,” Adrien handed her the rose and then stood up and offered her his hand. 

“Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.” She didn’t have any idea about where they were going, but she knew that Adrien would never lead her astray. 

They walked through a patio door that led towards the beach, and after walking for about five minutes, Marinette realized that they were walking towards a crowd that was gathered. The crowd was standing in darkness and that was why Marinette hadn’t seen them from their date spot at the hotel. As the two of them got closer, lights were flicked on, and they were so bright that Marinette had to blink a couple of times to clear the spots out of her eyes. When she could see again she gasped and stopped moving. 

Before her was a stage. She and Adrien were standing in the middle of the crowd, which had parted and left a wide circle of space around them, probably for the cameras. But the thing that made her pause was that on the stage, about to perform, was none other than Jagged Stone. He was a famous rocker that Marinette loved. She had interacted with him a handful of times and Jagged had even asked Marinette to design some of his album covers. She was so shocked to see him, here on her date with Adrien, that she just stared open mouthed up at the stage. 

Jagged looked down at her and shot her a wink. “This next song is for my favorite little lady, and her handsome boy.” He began playing a slow love song, and Adrien gently spun Marinette around to where she was facing him. He put his hands casually on her hips, and instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, rose still in hand. 

“Do you know Jagged Stone?” Adrien said, loud enough to be heard over the music. The shock in his voice was still heard, despite the loudness of the room. 

Marinette smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ve designed album covers for him before. He’s come and done a reality show at my parent’s bakery. We... kind of go way back.” 

Adrien was beaming, “You are so cool,” he gushed as he pulled her closer. She allowed herself to be swept up by Adrien and the song. 

They danced until the end of the song, when the whole crowd was staring at the two of them, rather than Jagged. Jagged was looking at them too, and he said into the microphone, “Well kiss her already!” Marinette and Adrien laughed, but Adrien did as he was told and leaned down to kiss her. This one lasted longer than it probably should have, with all of these people watching, but between the romantic dancing and the song, Marinette didn’t have it in herself to care. 

They broke apart when Jagged began another song, this one more upbeat than the last. Adrien and Marinette danced for what felt like hours, but was probably only 30 minutes. When Jagged waved goodbye to the audience, Marinette and Adrien were whisked away. They said their goodbyes, including snagging a couple of kisses, before being steered toward their respective cars. 

As Marinette was getting into hers, a cold hand grabbed her bare upper arm, and she turned to face their direction. Gabriel had Marinette’s arm in a death grip and he looked furious. _So much for Gabriel not finding out about my slip-up_. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re still doing here, Miss Dupain-Cheng. You may have Adrien wrapped around your finger, but you _will not_ be allowed to win this competition. I have been working too hard for this to fall apart because my weak son has seen fit to fall for a nobody and ruin all of my plans. So, make this easier on everyone and _go home_.” The last words were hissed out between his teeth as he abruptly let go of her arm. 

Gabriel turned on his heel and went to walk away, but stopped short at the sight of Adrien standing in front of him. Adrien looked _livid_. He was more Chat Noir now than ever, and Marinette honestly thought that he may call for Plagg and cataclysm his father right here. 

Then Marinette remembered that both Tikki and Plagg were at Master Fu’s. 

“Don’t you ever lay a hand on her or any of the other girls again, do you understand? I am capable of making my own decisions and I do not appreciate you _threatening_ one of my girls.” 

Both father and son shared the same look, hatred and anger boiling together. Gabriel was the first one to walk away, brushing past Adrien without so much as a glance. Adrien turned towards Marinette, the fire still alight in his eyes. “Are you hurt?” His voice was cold, but she knew that it wasn’t aimed at her. 

“No, but I may have a bruise tomorrow.” Marinette conceded. She had unconsciously grabbed the place where Gabriel had grabbed her, making her look as though she had been injured, despite her words. 

“Make sure no one else finds out about this, okay?” His voice softened with every word and he reached out to gently run his fingers over her shoulders. He opened his mouth as though he was going to say something and instead leaned down and kissed her on the cheek with a whispered, “I love you,” before he turned away and walked to his own car. 

Marinette was silent the whole trip back, and this time she couldn’t find it in herself to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I feel like it's been forever since I posted, but life has been a little crazy! Fair Warning: I took a little bit of creative license with this chapter (strayed slightly from canon), but I hope you enjoy!

Marinette was still in shock when she got back to the mansion. It was late, but Hanna and Juliette were waiting for her and they screamed when she walked through the door. 

“We were so worried he had sent you home!” Hanna cried as she engulfed Marinette in a hug. 

“What took you so long?” Juliette demanded and she joined the hug. Marinette took a moment to enjoy the unconditional love these two girls gave her before breaking apart and explaining. 

“We left Paris!” Marinette gushed, and that got the attention of everyone in the house. Before long, Marinette was standing in the kitchen eating something chocolatey and describing the date for the whole house, including Lila. She skipped over the reveal, and didn’t dare to mention Gabriel grabbing her, but otherwise, she told them everything. All of the girls were clearly jealous that Marinette not only got the alone time with Adrien, but also got to _leave Paris_ , but they weren’t mean about it, as Marinette had been prepared for. 

When she was finished, all of the girls gushed and hugged and congratulated Marinette on a great date and the rose. Lila was the only one who looked pissed, but she just stormed off to her room and didn’t say anything to anyone else. 

Marinette watched as all of the girls said their goodbyes and slowly went to bed. Hanna and Juliette helped her drag her suitcase upstairs before retreating to bed themselves. Marinette wanted to collapse on the bed and process everything that had happened that night, but she knew that it would be better to unpack her bag and then find Tikki before she fell asleep. 

“Tikki?” Marinette whispered, hoping beyond hope that she was in the room. When no one responded, her heart sank. She unpacked her clothes and changed into her pajamas. Marinette was worried. She couldn’t go get Tikki from Master Fu’s, but surely, she would be here, waiting for her if she could be, so what was holding her up? Marinette waited another hour, hoping Tikki would return before finally drifting off into sleep. 

Marinette woke to something pulling her awake. It was a small somebody, and the voice was familiar but not Tikki’s. 

“LB, please wake-up. I’ve got to get you out of here.” 

At the nickname, “LB” Marinette sat up abruptly. It was still dark outside, and the clock next to her bed read 4 in the morning. “Plagg?” Marinette asked hesitantly. 

The black kwami flew in front of her face, relief flooding his. “Thank goodness. We’ve got to go, there’s an akuma.” Marinette slipped on her tennis shoes and climbed down the balcony the three floors. She landed silently and sprinted to the wall that surrounded the mansion and began to climb. It was when she made it to the top that she finally remembered to ask Plagg the question that had been burning in her mind. 

“Where’s Tikki, is she hurt?” 

“Sugarcube is fine, she’s monitoring the akuma while I was charged to get the two heroes from their slumbers.” Plagg said in a bored voice. He didn’t seem too worried about the akuma, but Marinette couldn’t help feeling exposed without Tikki by her side. 

Marinette scaled down the other side of the wall, grateful that her Ladybug agility had crossed over a little into her civilian life the longer she had her Miraculous. They raced down the street, Marinette still in her pajamas, as Plagg led the way, presumably to Adrien’s hotel. 

“Wait here,” Plagg commanded when they reached what must be the hotel. Marinette huffed her annoyance, but agreed. She felt even more exposed on the street than she had before and wished she had Tikki or a change of clothes at the least. While she waited, she tried to predict what kind of akuma they could possibly be facing at 4 in the morning. She wasn’t optimistic of their chances of having an easy defeat. 

After what felt like forever, Adrien joined her, Plagg following close behind. Adrien smiled when he saw Marinette, but his eyes were full of worry. He quickly pulled her into a hug, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “When I said I wanted to wake up to your face every morning, this isn’t what I meant,” Marinette smiled and blushed slightly, suddenly conscious of the fact that she hadn’t brushed her teeth or her hair before rushing out of the mansion. 

Adrien didn’t seem to mind though as he held her close and kissed her, which only succeeded in making Plagg gag dramatically. 

“Okay, there will be time for that later, there’s an akuma to deal with now.” Plagg said, flying right up next to them, pushing Adrien away from her. Marinette held back a giggle as Adrien rolled his eyes, but followed Plagg anyway. He did, however, grab her hand before walking down the sidewalk, pulling her along. 

When they finally reached an abandoned building, one the superheroes sometimes rendezvoused at, Plagg told them to start climbing. 

“Why can’t I just transform and use my baton to boost Marinette and myself to the top? That seems easier,” Adrien asked while sizing up what used to be the fire escape Plagg was asking them to climb. Marinette couldn’t help but agree with him. 

“Sorry kid, you gotta do it this way, that’s the rules.” Before either of them could ask him what in the world he was talking about, he shot up towards the roof where they were supposed to climb to. 

“How come I feel like there may not be an akuma lurking up on that roof for us.” Marinette asked as she stared at the place that Plagg had disappeared, trying to see if she could glean any information from it. 

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Adrien answered, while pulling on the rickety and rusty fire escape. “Ladies first?” His eyes locked with Marinette’s and she gave a nod, a grim look of determination on her face. 

“I could use a—” she started, but Adrien was already squatting, preparing to lift her so she could reach the bottom rung of the fire escape. He lifted her as though she weighed nothing and she grabbed onto the rung and used her upper arm strength to climb onto the first landing. 

She turned just inside to watch Adrien jump straight up and grab the rung. Once he had joined her on the first landing, she stared at him, mouth gaping. “Since when could you do that?” 

Adrien just smiled at her and said, “I’ve been practicing.” 

They continued like that for the rest of the way. This building was old and not taken care of after it fell into disuse, so pieces of the fire escape were missing completely and other parts proved more of a jungle gym than something that was used for people to rush to safety. Adrien and Marinette, however, worked like a well-oiled machine. They knew exactly when to help the other, as well as when to leave their partner to get there on their own. They even had a scare where Adrien’s foot broke off a piece of the ladder and left him dangling with one hand on the fire escape. Marinette had screamed, but quickly got to work pulling him back onto the ladder. Once they made it to the very top, Marinette climbed up first and froze at the sight before her. Adrien gently nudged her feet, and it took that reminder that he was behind her to finish the climb. 

The rooftop was beautiful. There was a picnic blanket spread out in the middle and candles all over, lighting the place like it was daytime. There were two pillows placed on the picnic blanket and as soon as Adrien had stepped on the rooftop, gentle music started playing. For a moment, Marinette thought Adrien was behind it all as it seemed like his style, then she realized that he was as shocked as she was. 

“What in the?” Adrien asked, and Marinette knew exactly how he felt. Less than an hour ago, they were being awoken with the alarm of an akuma, and yet they were staring at a romantic picnic? 

Before Marinette could say anything, Tikki and Plagg flew out of the shadows. Marinette squealed a little at the sight of her kwami, and resisted the urge to grab her into a hug. She had missed Tikki _terribly_. 

“Hello, Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Tikki began, shooting Marinette a wink as she addressed her. “Congratulations on completing the task.” 

Adrien and Marinette shared a look of confusion before turning back to their kwamis. Plagg gave them a wicked grin before explaining. 

“Every time a Ladybug and Chat Noir discover each other’s identities, we have to perform a task for you to complete, to prove that you can still work together successfully even with the knowledge of your identities.” 

“And we passed?” Adrien asked, grabbing Marinette’s hand and giving it a squeeze. 

“You did,” Tikki answered, beaming at Marinette. 

“Although you almost blew it kid, when you walked out of the hotel and kissed her.” Plagg said, jerking his head to Marinette. Adrien gaped at him as he continued. “Luckily you actually listened to me when I told you to come on, otherwise we would have had to find a new Chat Noir because you wouldn’t have been ready to know who Ladybug is under the mask.” 

“You’re kidding.” Adrien was shocked and gripped Marinette’s hand a little tighter. The idea of Adrien not being her partner after so long and so much time working together and perfecting their teamwork, left her stomach in knots. 

“We’re not.” Tikki replied solemnly. “But since you passed, we can move past that now. Your powers are going to grow stronger as the bond between you grows stronger. When the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous owners find each other outside of the masks, their individual powers grow as well as their ability to work together, if they pass the test. Although with that power comes more danger, so you need to be more careful as you fight the akumas, because your power will feed off of each other.” 

Adrien and Marinette both looked at each other and said at the same time, “She’s talking about you.” Marinette barely had enough time to be offended when Plagg and Tikki started laughing. 

“You two are ridiculous.” Plagg said, pulling Tikki along to the picnic blanket and pillows. 

Marinette had opened her mouth to argue with Adrien when he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, “We can talk about _that_ later,” and he dragged her to the blanket. 

The four of them sat and laughed and talked for hours, enjoying time with each other and without something evil bringing them together. Marinette had her reunion with Tikki and Tikki even got to meet Adrien officially. Somehow, Marinette ended up in Adrien’s lap and their little group felt so natural and normal together, as if they’d been doing it for years, which in a way, they had. As the sun began to rise, Marinette and Adrien got to enjoy the beauty of it, before saying their goodbyes once again. 

“I’ll see you in 36 hours,” Adrien said as he nuzzled down into Marinette’s shoulder and hair. 

“36 hours,” Marinette repeated, like a promise. 

Marinette turned to Tikki and whispered, “You ready?” to which her kwami gave her an excited nod. “Tikki, spots on!” Marinette called out. Once the magic had worn away and she was dressed as Ladybug once more, she noticed Adrien’s awed expression. 

“Wow. That was just... wow.” was all he muttered before pulling her into a kiss once more. 

“Woah there, Kitty, I’ve got to go before someone notices I’m missing,” Ladybug said as she broke apart the kiss. 

“I just never thought I’d get to see that.” Adrien replied, his hands casually wrapped around her waist. “Bugaboo, I love you.” 

“I know, Kitty.” She said, breaking apart from his hold and pulling out her yo-yo. It felt really good to have her yo-yo in her hands especially after having faced Plagg and Tikki’s “task.” She threw her yo-yo onto a nearby billboard and right before she took off, she glanced over her shoulder and said, “I love you, too,” for the first time. She felt the tug of her yo-yo as it pulled her into the air, but she could have sworn she heard him gasp as her feet left the rooftop. Ladybug soared through the air, the rising sun making everything burst with the new light of morning, which made the city breathtaking. 

Ladybug flew into her room at the mansion and collapsed on her bed, whispering, “Spots off,” as she heard footsteps on the hallway that led to her room. She kicked off her shoes and climbed under the blankets, Tikki slipping into her hiding space right as someone opened the door. 

Marinette looked up and saw the _last_ person she would ever expect to find in her room. “Oooooh you are in _so_ much trouble.” 

The voice belonged to Lila.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was speechless. 

Lila looked simply gleeful and was jittery with excitement. “When I tell the producers tomorrow what you’ve been doing, you are _so_ getting kicked off the show.” 

Marinette decided it would be better to play it dumb than give away too much. “What do you mean?” 

“Oh, you know exactly what you’ve been doing.” Lila responded confidently. 

Marinette’s thoughts went wild. What if Lila really _did_ know that she was Ladybug? Could she really get kicked off the show for that? Except for their Sunday patrols, every time she left the mansion was for a good reason, the producers couldn’t be mad about that, could they? 

Lila’s smile was pure evil and Marinette suddenly felt as small as a mouse. Lila was slowly advancing on Marinette and unconsciously Marinette was retreating away from her. Marinette was scanning the room for Tikki, who would have hidden the moment she heard footsteps. If need be, she would make a quick getaway as Ladybug and find Adrien to figure out what to do next. 

“And imagine what the other girls will think when they find out as well. You won’t have any friends left in the house.” 

That made Marinette stop short. She couldn’t imagine Juliette or Hanna not being her friend anymore because she was Ladybug. In fact, they would understand her more and care for her more, and probably be in shock and freak out with excitement, but they wouldn’t be angry. 

“What in the world are you talking about?” Marinette asked again, this time the confusion in her voice wasn’t faked. 

“Oh, please. I heard you sneak out tonight. I followed you to Adrien’s hotel and watched you sneak off with each other. I raced back here to catch you when you came back and prove that you weren’t in your room.” Relief flooded through Marinette, at the thought that her identity was safe. 

After the relief faded, Marinette had another small moment of freaking out. To an outsider, it would seem as though she had snuck out tonight, gone to visit Adrien, and had some alone time with him while the other girls were sleeping. It looks _really bad_. Only she, Adrien, and their kwamis knew the truth, which wasn’t helpful. She couldn’t fight an accusation like this. 

Marinette sighed and asked something she never thought she would, “Lila, what do you want?” 

Lila’s smile grew and she pensively tapped her chin in thought. “Well, truthfully, I want you off the show, but I doubt you’ll agree to that. So instead, how about you give up all future alone time with Adrien at cocktail parties and dates to me.” Marinette felt her face heat up with anger and she opened her mouth to argue, but Lila cut her off. “Now, that only seems fair after you’ve been stealing extra time with him outside of camera hours.” 

Marinette stared at Lila for a beat. It’s true that of all the girls, she’s had the most time with him, but it’s because she gets to see him as Chat as well as Adrien during the show. But, it still would be so hard to not speak with him during dates or cocktail parties because Lila says so. On the other hand, if this rumor got out, everyone _would_ hate her and she’d have a hard time proving that she was innocent. 

Marinette, not daring to break eye contact with Lila, spoke slowly, as if speaking to a wild animal. “So, if I agree to your terms, you won’t tell a single soul, no producer, no contestant, no one at all that this happened tonight?” 

“I promise,” Lila said, her smile growing darker and more sinister. 

Marinette sighed. A promise from Lila meant nothing to her, but she couldn’t see another way. Then something small and pink caught her eye. It was Tikki, hovering right over Lila’s right should and she was pointing at something on Marinette’s bedside table. Marinette looked closer and noticed her sketchbook. 

“Then you won’t mind writing that all down for me?” Marinette gave Lila a saccharine smile, while pointing to the sketchbook. Lila had the audacity to look offended. 

“You don’t trust me?” Marinette just gave her a look. “Fine,” she huffed as she grabbed Marinette’s sketchbook and a pen and flipped to an empty page. She scribbled something on it and shoved it towards Marinette, “This satisfy you?” 

Marinette read it over and tried to spot any loopholes Lila might have purposefully created. It was pretty airtight and Marinette ripped out the paper and folded it up. “It’s great, thanks.” 

Lila’s evil smile returned full-force, “No need to be thanking me, I own you now.” With that she turned on her heels and left the room.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had a couple of days off from work, which allowed me extra time to write! Hope you enjoy!

Marinette didn’t wake up until late the next day, a combination of the date, plus the task, as well as the conversation with Lila. 

As soon as Lila left, Marinette collapsed on the bed, while Tikki paced above her, ranting and saying horribly mean things about Lila that made Marinette feel a little better. She wanted to go find Adrien right then and tell him what happened, but Tikki convinced her that it would be really suspicious if she left the mansion again, even as Ladybug, and that she needed to sleep after the long day and night she had gone through. 

Lunch was a quiet affair, all of the girls that didn’t have roses were freaking out about the cocktail party and rose ceremony tomorrow, and Marinette did her best to distract Hanna and Juliette. The day was slow and after the group helped each other pick out dresses, everyone pretty much kept to themselves. For some reason, this rose ceremony and cocktail party felt different. Marinette didn’t know if it was because there were less girls or because they had all grown super close throughout their five weeks at the house. 

Marinette tried to think about what it would be like if Hanna, Juliette, Lucie, or even Sasha or Alice left this week, and her heart broke a little at the thought. By the time dinner time came around, all of the girls had gathered in the living room, sizing up the number and processing who could be leaving this week and who would be staying. Lucie broke the silence by sharing a memory from the first week in the mansion, and Marinette joined in by sharing of their pillow fort and pool party night. Everyone (except Lila) joined in and within half an hour the girls were all crying and laughing and hugging each other, writing down phone numbers and addresses and promising to meet up with each other once the show was over. 

Marinette knew in the back of her mind that most of these girls would be here with her next week, but it still felt as though tomorrow they would be saying goodbye to too many of them. Marinette fell into bed exhausted, with a pit of butterflies in her stomach, not for her future at the mansion, but for these girls who had become as close as sisters.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette woke up late, as usual, and dressed in record time. She made it just in time for lunch, and they were informed by the producers setting up all of their equipment that the cocktail party would just be a normal one, which meant that Adrien would be arriving right before sunset and the girls were expected in formal wear like normal. 

Marinette tried not to let herself get excited about the cocktail party, since she knew that she wasn’t allowed to talk with Adrien at all, thanks to Lila. Marinette put on a happy face and pretended like nothing was wrong, which thankfully fooled everyone. 

As Marinette was doing her hair for the evening, Lila slinked into the bathroom Hanna, Juliette, and Marinette were sharing to get ready. Juliette was about to snap something at her, but Marinette quickly excused herself from the room and followed Lila down the hallway. 

“How can I help you?” Marinette asked once they were out of earshot of the bathroom, making sure there was plenty of malice in her voice. 

“I just wanted to make sure that you’re clear on what you’re expected to do tonight.” Lila announced, crossing her arms over her chest with a sneer on her face. 

“Unless you’ve changed the game plan on me, I’m going to avoid talking with Adrien all night without any explanation and allow you to chat with him in my stead.” 

Lila broke into an evil grin. “Perfect, glad we’re clear. I’ll be following you closely tonight to make sure you don’t tell anyone, and that way I can grab all the time with Adrien that I want.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes and took that as her clue to leave. She had her hand on the door knob to the bathroom when Lila called out, “Thanks for your cooperation,” loud enough for Hanna and Juliette to hear. 

Once inside the bathroom, Juliette was the one who jumped on the mysterious appearance of Lila that caused Marinette to disappear mysteriously. “What’s with the secrecy?” 

“I wish I could tell you, but I can’t right now.” Marinette answered sadly, causing both Hanna and Juliette to look alarmed. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this, but I promise I’ll tell you when I can,” _When I’m forcibly kicked off the show by either Gabriel or Lila_. 

Thankfully, both girls dropped it and they finished getting ready. When it was time for the cocktail party to start, they were all gathered in the Date Card Room, when Chris Harrison walked in. 

He gave them all a reassuring smile before saying, “Good evening, ladies. You are all looking lovely tonight. Adrien is right behind me, and he is excited to see all of you.” He paused and scanned the gathered girls once more. “How are you guys feeling about tonight?” 

A handful of girls answered, but Marinette avoided eye contact. Since she had a rose, no one would be looking at her tonight and she was hoping to keep it that way, so her avoiding of Adrien would be less obvious. Once the girls were finished answering, Chris smiled at them once again, “Well, good luck tonight ladies, I’ll see you later tonight.” He then stepped back into the shadows and disappeared as Adrien walked through the doorway. 

He looked dashing, as usual. Tonight, he was wearing a black suit coat, with a dark pink dress shirt and a dark blue tie. His pocket square matched his shirt and the dark colors made his hair and eyes look brighter and more alive. Adrien’s eyes scanned the room and came to rest on Marinette. There was a certain gleam in them that hadn’t been in there at last week’s rose ceremony. Marinette was struck by how much had happened since the last rose ceremony that dropped them down to their Top 10. Adrien now knew that she was Ladybug, and they had proved that they can still work together as a team, even though they now interacted with each other outside of the masks. Adrien had declared that he loved her, privately and Marinette had done the same. The world didn’t know where they were at with their relationship, but both of them (and their kwamis) knew that Adrien saw Marinette as the end game, which gave Marinette goosebumps to just think about. 

“Hello, ladies,” Adrien started, peeling his eyes off of Marinette. She had chosen her most boring outfit for tonight, an all-black pantsuit that had a V cut with very little cleavage showing and the only redeeming factor being the cute cut-outs on the waist that showed off Marinette’s well-toned abs (thanks Ladybug) and gave Marinette the ghost of some curves. Marinette thought it was bland compared to the dresses of the other girls, but apparently Adrien did not agree. “I’m excited to be here tonight and I can’t wait to spend more time with each one of you,” Adrien’s eyes lingered on Marinette once more before he turned to Kagami and whisked her away to one of the talking spots the producers set-up outside. 

As soon as Adrien left the room, the girls relaxed into a more comfortable moment, everyone breaking off to talk with others about various things. Marinette got up to grab a handful of drinks for everyone who was sitting around her, just to keep herself occupied for what was setting up to be the longest cocktail party ever. 

Once she was alone, Tikki flitted out from her hiding space, this time accompanied by a small black figure, who Marinette recognized immediately. 

“How’d you get away?” Marinette asked in lieu of a greeting. Plagg landed on Marinette’s outstretched palm and was rewarded by Marinette gently scratching him behind the ears. 

“Oh easily.” Plagg said with a small purr. “He thinks I’m in his pocket, but it’s really an extra pocket square that I stole from his drawer before we left the hotel. He won’t notice for another hour or so, so I figured I’d come hang with my Sugarcube until then.” Tikki rolled her eyes, but seemed overjoyed that Plagg had chosen to visit her tonight. 

Tikki shifted her focus from Plagg to Marinette, and her face grew worried. “Are you still going through with Lila’s plan tonight?” Plagg’s ears perked up in response, but he didn’t say anything. 

Marinette sighed before answering, “I don’t really have much of a choice. If she announces that I’ve been seeing Adrien outside of my allotted time on the show, it could mean serious repercussions for both me and Adrien and I have to do everything in my power to protect him.”

At the mention of his chosen, Plagg flew out of Marinette’s hand and flew to her eye level. “Explain everything.” 

So, Marinette did. When she was finished explaining what Lila had seen and what she was forcing Marinette to do for her remaining time on the show, Plagg was shaking with fury. “You just say the word, LB and I will cataclysm her to nothingness.” 

Tikki’s squeak of, “PLAGG!” was lost in Marinette’s laughter. “That won’t be necessary Plagg, but I appreciate the offer.” She gave him a little under the chin scratch and watched as both Plagg and Tikki disappeared into the rafters. Marinette had heard the footsteps too, and quickly gathered up all of the drinks and carried them into the Date Card Room, where everyone was waiting for her. 

The night dragged on and Marinette watched as every one of her friends got up and cut in to steal time with Adrien. Whenever someone brought up that Marinette hadn’t gone yet, she brushed them off and claimed that since she had a rose she didn’t want to take time away from the other girls. That answer was easily accepted and Marinette found herself entertained by watching Plagg and Tikki interact in the rafters above the party. 

Their relationship was sweet and as much as Tikki complained about Plagg and his impulsive and sometimes lazy behavior, it was clear that she really cared for him. They had known each other for such a long time and yet were separated for 7 years while her and Adrien hadn’t known each other’s identities and for who knows how many more before she became Ladybug. 

Marinette’s gaze was torn away from the kwamis as Juliette plopped down on the couch next to her. She had a half empty drink in her hand, and from the smell of her, it seemed that she decided to deal with not having a rose yet by drinking a little more than she normally did. Thankfully, when she spoke she seemed pretty coherent. 

“You know, I think almost every other girl has had ample amounts of time with Adrien. You need to go and get yours in before the rose ceremony happens soon.” Marinette gave a noncommittal shrug and Juliette’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She leaned close and lowered her voice low enough that none of the surrounding cameras could pick up specific words. “What does that mean? Did something happen between you and Adrien on your one-on-one that you haven’t told us about?” 

Marinette gave a small smile and whispered back, “I promise that it’s got nothing to with Adrien. Our one-on-one was perfect, I promise, I just don’t want to take away time from the other girls that don’t have roses right now. I feel like I don’t need the time because we had such a wonderful date. Does that make sense?” 

“In a very strange way it slightly makes sense, but I wouldn’t be that noble,” Juliette said at her regular volume with a scoff. Marinette gave another noncommittal shrug before noticing that all of the girls were being herded into the Date Card Room, which meant that the Rose Ceremony was coming. Adrien was with the girls as they entered and immediately caught eyes with Marinette. He slightly tilted his head, the unasked question hanging in the air between them. She gave him a small shake of her head before pointing toward the ceiling, where their kwamis were still playing, distracted enough that Plagg didn’t notice Adrien entering the room. Adrien’s face blanched as he saw his kwami, who he thought was in his pocket, on the ceiling. Plagg chose that moment to look down and noticed Adrien staring. He quickly flitted through the girls and zoomed into Adrien’s pocket, Adrien’s eyes following Plagg the whole way. Adrien looked up incredulously at Marinette, who gave a small laugh and a playful shrug. 

At that moment, Chris Harrison walked into the room and all of the talking ceased as he clinked a spoon onto his glass. “It is time for another Rose Ceremony. Adrien, if you would come join me.” Adrien smiled at Chris and stood up from his spot on the couch. He walked towards the front of the gathered girls and turned to address them. 

“I am so grateful that I was able to spend more time with all of you this evening. I love how strong our relationships have grown, even in this past week. Please know that this will not be an easy decision for me tonight, and that I will be putting a lot of thought into who I will be taking into the next week.” And with that, Adrien walked out of the room.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was outside of the Rose Ceremony room, waiting for the girls to be lined up so he could go inside and get this over with. Adrien couldn’t figure out why Marinette ignored him all night. None of the producers seemed too worried that she hadn’t talked with him and he accounted that to all of the footage they got together from their one-on-one. Marinette didn’t seem too bothered by not getting to see him, but she did seem a little down once everyone gathered in the room for the end of the cocktail party. But, she cleverly distracted Adrien with the sight of Plagg on the ceiling (he was going to have THAT conversation later) and Adrien forgot/didn’t have the time to ask her what was bothering her. 

He watched as the 10 remaining girls walked into the room and lined up, waiting for Adrien to walk in and ruin two girls’ nights. Marinette was one of the last to walk in, positioned in front of Lucie and next to Lila, the three who had received roses from him throughout the week. Marinette still looked slightly distressed, but he was pretty sure he was the only one who would have noticed. She had the look that Ladybug has when she feels as though the villain has a leg-up on the two of them and she can’t see a way out of the problem. Normally that’s when he steps in and gets her back on track, but he couldn’t do that from afar tonight, which meant that he’d have to wait until Sunday night at their patrol. 

Mini-Natalie gave Adrien a look that meant that he needed to walk into that room and begin the rose ceremony. He walked up to the podium where five roses sat waiting for him, each of them with an assigned name in his head. He looked up and scanned the small group in front of him and took a deep breath before beginning his pre-scripted speech, “I know I’ve already said this once tonight, but I really need you to know that this was a hard decision. I really hate to see any of you go home tonight, but this needs to happen for me to find my future wife.” He knew that he had already found her and unconsciously made eye contact with Marinette. They shared a small moment before he cleared his throat and addressed the group as a whole once again, “Please don’t take it personally,” he pleaded as he picked up the first rose. He paused the allotted time he was required to before saying, “Hanna.” 

One of his favorite parts of Rose Ceremonies was watching the other girls react to the names that he called, especially since he knew who was staying and who was leaving. It usually made him laugh a little, seeing how they all react to each other, but Marinette was always so excited to see her friends stay, even when she didn’t have a rose. As Hanna walked towards him, Adrien noticed Juliette and Marinette exchange an excited smile before Hanna was in front of him. He smiled, as he felt Plagg’s excitement at being so close to Camembert girl. “Hanna, will you accept this rose?” 

She gave him a sweet smile and a whispered, “Yes!” before giving him a hug and walking back to join the other girls. This pattern continued as he called other names, Camille, Sasha, and Juliette.

When there was only one rose left, Chris stepped out from the shadows and announced, “Ladies, Adrien, this is the final rose tonight.” Chris turned towards Adrien and gave him a small pat on the shoulder, “When you’re ready.” 

Adrien stared at the last rose and was afraid to pick it up. He looked up at the girls, surveying who was left. Kagami, Alice, and Zoe. Zoe and Alice were looking nervous and the various girls around them had grabbed their hands in support. Kagami, who was on the end, stood stoically, completely unaware that she didn’t have a rose and that there was a possibility that she wouldn’t get one. Her composure was shocking, something even Marinette hadn’t been able to do when she was the last rose a couple of weeks back. Kagami looked like someone who wouldn’t take no for an answer. That thought made his heart swell a little and he realized how much he valued her friendship. 

He finally picked up the rose, and took another deep breath, stalling for more time since he knew he was required to build the tension. Kagami had been a surprise. If he wouldn’t have found out that Marinette was Ladybug, he would have been curious about growing his relationship with Kagami, because she seemed like someone who would be a great friend. She had a mother that hovered very similarly to his father and he knew that she felt his pain and sympathized with him. He just hoped that she would remain his friend even after Marinette won. 

“Kagami,” he said after a beat. She walked briskly to him, and once she was stopped in front of him he asked, “Kagami will you accept this rose?” She gave him a nod and bowed before him, like she had done every Rose Ceremony. He smiled and bowed back before straightening up to face the two girls going home. Alice seemed to be better composed than Zoe, but Chris still stepped out of the shadows once more and addressed the two of them. 

“Zoe, Alice, I’m sorry. Take a moment to say your goodbyes.” The other girls swarmed the two that were leaving, hugging them and reassuring them. This was Adrien’s least favorite part of the rose ceremonies. He needed to walk the girls out and make sure they understood his reasoning so they wouldn’t become akumatized. He walked both girls out to the car one by one, and each one took the goodbye very well. Zoe almost seemed relieved and Alice was as understanding as ever. These girls were nice and he hated to hurt them, but now that he knew who his lady was, there were only formalities standing between him and the happy ending he dreamed of. 

After putting Alice in the car that would take her home, he walked back into the Rose Ceremony room, where once again he was given a flute of champagne and asked to give a toast to the remaining eight girls. “Ladies, I’m looking forward to continuing this amazing journey with all of you. I know my future wife is in this room,” Another short glance Marinette’s way which caused a slight blush to form on her cheeks. Seeing that blush caused him a sense of satisfaction knowing that he was the one to make that blush appear. He cleared his throat and finished his statement, “And I’m looking forward to finding her. Let’s make this next week as amazing as this past one.” 

There was a collective amount of cheers and they all clinked their glasses together and drank. Adrien tried to catch Marinette’s eye, but she was ignoring him, probably from the blush he had caused earlier. Much sooner than normal, he was swept away and forced to head back to his hotel room, where he quickly changed and fell asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ladybug fidgeted while she waited for Chat to show up. She hadn’t decided if she was going to tell him about what Lila was making her do. She was going to let Chat lead the conversation and if it came up, tell the truth. 

Chat showed up a couple of minutes late, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He gave her a cheesy grin before dramatically offering the flowers to her. “For you, Milady.” 

Ladybug gave a little laugh and took the flowers, smelling them and appreciating the colors he had picked out. “Why thank you, _Chaton_ , but what is the occasion?” 

He took her hand, led her to the end of the building and sat them down, their feet dangling over the edge of the roof. “Why do I need an occasion?” he asked with a smirk on his face. Ladybug leveled him a look, which caused him to chuckle before giving an actual explanation. “Today would have been the day you revealed your identity to me, and I felt as though it needed to be honored with flowers.” He gave her another cheesy grin and Ladybug felt herself blush slightly under his gaze. It was a weird feeling knowing that he knew who she was underneath the disguise. She felt as though they had grown as people as their relationship began to grow, even when Chat had no idea who she was. She was kind of excited for their next akuma fight, she wanted to see the new duo in action. 

“Of course, you should have brought a gift to me too, because I was smart enough to put the pieces together,” Chat said with his signature Cheshire grin. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes and gave him a slight push. No matter how much she thought they had grown, he was still her silly kitty through and through. “Actually, I think it took you a little too long to figure it out. I made it very easy for you and you ignored all of the signs.” 

Chat had the audacity to look hurt, but he quickly got over it. “Yeah, okay, I did ignore a lot of signs, but that’s because I didn’t want to get my hopes up that you and Marinette were one in the same.” _That_ caused Ladybug to blush once again, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head as he did. 

Oh man, she loved this cat. 

“So, is there a particular reason that you didn’t talk with me at the cocktail party yesterday?” Ladybug sat up abruptly, not expecting the conversation to take this turn this quickly. “I heard the rumors, but I wanted to hear it from you.” 

Ladybug paused, frantically trying to scramble together what she was going to say. She hastily looked around, and once confirming that there was _no way_ that Lila could have followed her or know that she’s Ladybug, she quickly recounted all that had happened the night after the test, just as she had done with Plagg the night before. 

“You’re kidding me,” Chat Noir said after she was finished. All Ladybug could do was nod. Chat stood up and started pacing, talking faster and faster as he went along, “At least she doesn’t know our identities, but what she found out is almost worse. The producers would be outraged and the girls would turn on both you and me, which isn’t a big deal to me, but I know you value them as your friends, and that would give my Father the perfect reason to kick you off without my opinion mattering and then I’ll have to marry Lucie and then I won’t be able to marry you and—” 

Ladybug grabbed his arm, stopping his pacing and his rant, “Chat, calm down, I won’t let that happen.” 

“I told you what my Father said, Lila is a dangerous person to have as an enemy. You can’t manipulate her out of this.” 

That comment brought Ladybug up short. What he said was very true, but he was missing the biggest piece of the puzzle right now, something that she hadn’t realized until just now. 

“I may not be able to, but you can.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope everyone is ready for a slightly lengthy chapter today! It's a good one! 
> 
> PS: See the end of the chapter for an important note involving this group date :)

Marinette hoped that she had explained her plan well enough to Chat last night that this week would be the end of Lila’s reign on her life, and possibly her time on the show. Thankfully, he trusted her plans without any doubts, so that just left Marinette to worry about the success of it all. 

Monday was a slow affair, and for some reason they didn’t do the date card until late that afternoon. Rumor was that Adrien had to make some last-minute changes to the date cards and the people who were going on it. Marinette hoped that rumor was true. 

Once they were all gathered in the Date Card room, Camille was asked to go retrieve the date card when the knock came. There was a dramatic pause, which Marinette has decided is what the Bachelor show is best at, before Camille read, “Sasha,” as receiving the one-on-one. The card said something cheesy like, “Let’s go exploring,” and all of the girls broke out in squeals of excitement for Sasha, including Marinette. It was only later that Marinette realized that the date card didn’t have a pun on it. She made a mental note to ask Adrien about that once they pulled off their plan. 

Waiting for the group date card the next day was agonizing, especially when the only thing the girls had to talk about once Sasha was prepped and ready was what the last-minute change could have been to the date cards. Marinette tried very hard to not get involved in those conversations just because she knew what Adrien had done because she was the one to suggest it. 

The next morning, the girls all gathered to send Sasha off. They were down to eight girls, and going on one-on-ones were almost more of a risk than a fun time, as it was fully possible that Adrien could send someone home at the end of the date, rather than giving them a rose. After Sasha left, they were ushered into the Date Card room and Juliette was chosen to read the two date cards. When the knock at the door came, she squealed a little and came back waving the cards like she owned the world, which in this moment she kind of did. 

“I’ve got the group date card!” she announced to the group, just for the sake of appearances. She snapped open the card, took a deep breath, and began to read, “Hanna, Camille, Lila,” that got a small sneer from Lila and a gloating smirk from Juliette before she continued. “Marinette, Juliette,” she did a small hair flip and dance to show that she was excited. There were only two girls left, Lucie and Kagami. The former looked nervous and slightly excited that she could be the first to get two one-on-ones, whereas the latter looked as though she would rather be running around stabbing people with her sharp stick than sitting in this room listening to these names.

Juliette took another deep breath before reading off, “Lucie,” the girl deflated slightly, but everyone seemed very excited for Kagami, even if she didn’t. Although Marinette could have sworn she saw a small smile cross Kagami’s face, but she could have imagined that. 

“I think I’ve found my perfect _shot_.” All of the girls stilled, trying to figure out the meaning of the date card. Even Marinette didn’t know what this could be, but she had a hunch it had something to do with photos, knowing Adrien. 

Kagami’s date card was read quickly, it saying something about “practicing together.” After they were done recording, everyone took a moment to congratulate Kagami on her one-on-one before rushing off to find outfits and get excited about their group date.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette only told Hanna and Juliette about her camera theory, but looking at the set-up before them, she wished she had been more vocal about her guess; the impressed looks that Hanna and Juliette were giving her from across the group were very satisfying. Before them all was a white stage that was very clearly set-up for a photoshoot, just like they had done before they were all cast in the show.

They were inside of a studio that was set-up with multiple stages so multiple girls could take pictures at one time. Behind the gathered group of girls were doors that Marinette assumed led to dressing rooms. Adrien was in the corner, talking with a tall man with rust colored hair wearing red and green plaid pants, a white shirt and grey suspenders. Adrien seemed very comfortable around him and was nodding and laughing at something the man had said. Once Adrien noticed the gathered girls, he brought the man over and addressed the group. 

“Good morning ladies! I have something very exciting planned for today. Part of my everyday job for my Father’s company is to take photos in all the new clothes for magazines, posters, and billboards. Today, we are going to be staging a photoshoot, but this one has a special twist to it.” Adrien’s smile grew brighter, and Marinette became very sure that this idea _really_ was Adrien’s. Very rarely did he ever look that proud. “Because we are in Paris, the home of Ladybug and Chat Noir, we are going to be modeling outfits inspired by the superheroes and the various villains they have faced.” 

Marinette blanched slightly, suddenly terrified that Adrien would make her dress up as Ladybug. She could see the excitement dancing in his eyes as their gazes locked and she shook her head ever so slightly at him. He shot her a quick wink before moving on in his speech. 

“You guys are going to randomly pick which characters you’ll be dressed as out of a hat, and then the outfits will be altered to fit you, but the make-up and shoes will be up to you. Before we do all that, let me introduce our photographer today.” Adrien smiled at the man he had brought over with him. “This is Vincent, and he’s been taking my picture since I was little and didn’t know how all of this modeling stuff worked.” 

Vincent let out a laugh and addressed the group of girls, “You think he’s handsome now, ladies, you should have seen him with his chubby cheeks and awkward smiles.” His accent was very strongly Italian, and Marinette saw Lila stand a little taller about having even more of a connection with the man taking pictures of them today. 

Adrien let out a laugh, and the group of girls giggled. It was very clear that Adrien was comfortable around Vincent, which Marinette imagined helped when he was going through long photoshoots with him. “If you’d like, Vincent can share more baby stories later. Right now, let’s get to the fun stuff.” One of the crew members stepped out from behind the equipment then, with an actual hat, that must contain all of the different outfit choices. It was passed around and the girls were able to pick who they would be today. 

Camille picked Evilllustrator, Lucy picked Chat Noir (which Marinette noticed Adrien was extremely relieved about), Juliette picked Pixelator, and Hanna picked Horrificator. Marinette was one of the last to pick, only Lila and Adrien left, and she was slightly freaking out that none of the girls had picked Ladybug. When the crew member brought the hat over to her, she quickly glanced at Adrien and shot him a slightly panicked look before reaching her hand into the outstretched hat. There were only three pieces of paper left, and she grabbed the third one she had touched and pulled it out. Marinette’s heart was beating fast and she was terrified of what that paper would say, hoping beyond hope that her Ladybug luck would carry over to just this piece of paper and allow her to be _anyone_ except Ladybug. As she opened the paper, her sigh of relief was audible, but she turned it into a squeal of excitement when she saw what was written. “Lady WiFi,” she announced to the group, a huge smile spreading across her face. 

She glanced back up at Adrien and saw that he was just as relieved as she was. Lila was next and pulled out “Darkblade,” which she seemed annoyed about. Marinette was starting to wonder if anything actually made Lila happy. Adrien was the last to draw, and considering everyone knew what name would be in there, Marinette couldn’t help but let out a laugh with the other girls. Adrien, being the drama queen that he was, made a big show out of pulling the paper out of the hat, fumbling to open it, and then announcing to the group that he would be dressed as Ladybug. 

They were then dismissed to find the dressing room that had their outfits listed on them, and Marinette immediately turned to join Hanna and Juliette to begin the search. As she was about to start walking towards them, a voice startled her from behind. 

“I see you making eye contact with him,” Lila whispered into Marinette’s ear. Marinette felt her heart sink a little. She had gotten so caught up in the date and everything that she and Adrien had planned that she forgot that Lila still monopolized on her time with Adrien. “It stops now. No more eye contact, no talking, nothing. You do as you're told and that’s it.” Marinette turned around to snap an “I know,” but Lila had already disappeared. 

“Come on, Marinette!” Hanna called from the door that did lead to the dressing rooms. Marinette shook her head once, to clear the feel of Lila breathing down her neck, and quickly crossed to the other side of the stage.

\----------------------------------------------------

To say Marinette was excited was an understatement. The outfit they had planned out for Lady WiFi was perfect, in Marinette’s opinion. They had given her a light black sweater, with a black, purple, red and white plaid skirt. She tucked the sweater into the skirt and threw a long, light purple, clear coat, almost like a rain jacket, on top of it. She found some purple tennis shoes, and a matching pair of knee-high tube socks, that accented the plaid skirt really well. She decided to put her hair up in space buns, half up, half down style, and she threw on some red ribbon, like from her Ladybug pigtails, to accent the red in her skirt. Finally, while she was rummaging through the accessories they had supplied her to choose from, Marinette found a purple and black striped tie to finish off the ensemble.

When she walked into the hallway, Juliette and Lucie were waiting there, also dressed and ready to go. Juliette looked _stunning_ in her Pixelator outfit. It was a mostly teal jumpsuit made of stretchy material that looked very soft, that was accented by curving black stripes on the legs that made her look taller. The top of the jumpsuit had black accents as well as dark purple almost maroon at the top that made it look like she was made of pixels. There was a jacket on top that had the same pixel-like design on it, with different shades of teal and purple and black. The sleeves were bell sleeves and the ends were boxy and almost shredded looking to appear more like pixels. She had paired the outfit with some teal boots, a silver and teal necklace and a ball cap that had the same color scheme and pixel appearance as the outfit. Her dark hair was styled down and straight, but pulled out of her face and done to let the ballcap shine. 

Lucie was easily recognizable as Chat Noir. Instead of a skin-tight outfit, however, she had on baggy black pants, a plain black T-shirt, a chunky black and neon green jacket with cat eyes on the pockets, and a green and red plaid shirt tied around her waist. She was wearing lime green Jordans, and like Marinette, her hair was pulled into two space buns, but in front of each of them were black and green cat ears to pull the whole ensemble together. Where Marinette and Juliette had kept their make-up more natural, Lucie had gone with bright green eyeshadow and dark green lipstick. 

“You two look amazing!” Marinette gushed as she walked to meet the girls in the middle of the hallway. 

“Marinette, that outfit is adorable!” Juliette gushed, giving Marinette a gentle hug. 

“Do you want to know something super crazy?” Marinette started, and both Lucie and Juliette nodded eagerly. “My best friend was akumatized into Lady WiFi.” 

“No way!” Lucie exclaimed. 

“She’s going to freak when she sees me dressed in an outfit inspired by her, kind of.” Marinette giggled, imagining Alya screaming at the TV and posting about it on the Ladyblog. 

“This is such a fun date idea!” Juliette squealed, and Lucie and Marinette echoed their agreement as Hanna stepped into the hallway to join them. 

Where Juliette’s outfit was all teals and black, Hanna’s was all pinks and purples. She was wearing a fringe, off the shoulder, shirt that was pink that ombréed into purple. She was wearing overalls over the shirt that had the same obréed look from pink at the top to purple on her legs. The top of the overalls had little white teeth, as well as the pocket on the side. Hanna had pulled her blonde hair into pigtails and tied them up with hair ties that looked like yellow eyeballs. Her choker also looked like a monster eye and her shoes were Jordans, but these were pink and purple. Her eyeshadow was also purple and her lips a pink that matched her color scheme. Hanna’s outfit made her look younger than she was and matched her carefree, joyful attitude perfectly. 

The girls began chatting and were moved into the staging area by a crew member so as to not block the hallway. Adrien was already waiting in the staging area, and when Marinette spotted him, she stopped dead in her tracks. While she had been consciously aware that Adrien would be dressed as her, she wasn’t mentally prepared to see him in her signature red and black spots. 

He was wearing a bright red suit set that was covered in black polka dots. He had on a black button-down shirt and a red and black polka dotted tie. His shoes were smooth black dress shoes, which caused him to look like his normal, handsome self, just sporting more spots. Thankfully, Lila wasn’t around as Adrien’s eyes immediately met hers. She watched him drag his gaze up and down her body, analyzing her outfit, just as she had done to him. He gave her a sweet smile and walked up to the group of girls, complimenting them on how they looked. 

Camille arrived shortly after, wearing a black and white striped top with cut-out shoulders, the seams colored one red and one a light blue. She wore black leggings that faded into red, white boots with colored balls at the end of the laces, and her hair pulled back with multi-colored hair ties. She had added earrings that matched the light blue, red and yellow accents of the outfit and a yellow necklace that helped her neck look less bare. 

Nearly ten minutes after Camille walked in, Lila graced them all with her presence. She looked less upset about her chosen akuma and was walking smugly toward the group. Marinette did have to admit that she looked beautiful. She was wearing a sweetheart neckline dress that poofed out into a skirt that stopped around her mid-thigh. The top of the dress had black and grey stripes, her waist wrapped in a red stripe. Below the red were three layers of skirt that Marinette could see. The bottom layer was red, then a black, topped with a shimmering tulle that was a light grey that sparkled when she moved. She had a light grey gossamer material that covered the top of her chest and travelled down her arms. Her legs were covered in black leggings and she had chosen bright red heels that matched the coloring of the dress very well. There was a black and red necklace around her neck and her hair was down, curly, and flowing as she walked. As she got closer, Marinette noticed that sprouting from the neckline of the dress and gracefully covering her shoulders in strips, were pieces of silver metal that must have represented the knight outfit of Darkblade. 

Once everyone had arrived on the stage, the photoshoot started. Marinette was handed a black plastic cell phone, and Juliette a camera to loop around her neck, and then they were off. There were three staging areas total around the room, and while crew members were positioning some girls, others were having lighting adjusted while the last actually had their pictures taken by Vincent, who rotated around the different stages, calling out poses for them to make and saying things like “Think of the spaghetti!” which either confused the girls or made them laugh. Marinette had a moment of satisfaction when Vincent ignored Lila’s comments about being a model and being from Italy as well and focused on correcting her positioning and praising Marinette for her natural posing ability. 

All of the girls took turns taking pictures with just Adrien, one by one. During Marinette’s solo picture, the only time she was allowed alone with him thanks to Lila, Adrien took advantage of it and whispered in her ear, “How weird is it to see me in your spots?” 

“Interestingly enough, it’s not the first time,” she replied with a laugh. He quickly joined in, remembering the chaos that had been Reflekdoll, right as Vincent snapped a picture. 

“Perfetto!” he cried, before moving on to the next set, Adrien following him, but giving Marinette a wink before getting posed with Camille. 

After they were all done with that, Vincent paired up the Akumas and everyone rotated around, taking pictures with everyone else. A lot of pictures were taken of Lucie and Adrien together, since they were Ladybug and Chat Noir, and every akuma took a picture with the two heroes as well, which were always super fun. At the very end, they took a couple of group pictures, and Marinette couldn’t wait to see how they turned out. By the end of the date, Marinette was tired and pictured out, but was unable to keep the smile off of her face. The photoshoot was a lot of fun, and it helped that she had friends like Hanna and Juliette to make the day portion of the date even better.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette dressed for battle tonight, putting on black, sparkly dress with a _very_ low V neckline held up by a small slice of fabric on both shoulders, a slit on her right side that went up to her mid-thigh and a short train of the dress that slid across the floor when she walked like a snake. Her simple black heels made her almost the same height as the other girls, and Marinette walked into the hotel for the night portion of the date standing taller than she ever had before on the show.

They were seated on the couches, chatting excitedly about the date they had had that morning, when Adrien walked into the room. 

He was wearing a light blue and white pinstripe suit, paired with a light pink button-down shirt and tan leather shoes. He was without a tie and his suit coat wasn’t buttoned, giving Adrien the look of someone going to a much more casual event, though he looked no less jaw dropping. 

“Good evening ladies, you look wonderful tonight,” Adrien said as he stopped in front of the gathered girls to give his expected speech. “I had such a wonderful time taking photos with you all on the date today, and I am excited to be able to talk with each of you tonight.” His eyes lingered slightly on Marinette when he said that, before quickly moving on. “So, without further ado, Hanna, can I steal you for a second?” 

The night dragged on slowly, and as the passing minutes went by, Marinette became more and more anxious. She was grateful that she was pulling this off with Adrien by her side, otherwise she probably would have accepted her defeat a while ago. It was something Marinette had been thinking about recently. Chat looked at Ladybug as though he couldn’t accomplish anything without her by his side, and sometimes the world looked at them the same way as well. But Marinette knew that she was stronger, either as Ladybug or Marinette, when Adrien was next to her. He always gave her the support and encouragement that she needed. In the very beginning, seven years ago when she was first given her Miraculous, she would have given up being Ladybug if it weren’t for Chat’s encouragement. Marinette felt confident that no matter who they faced, whether it be Hawkmoth, Gabriel, Lila, or anyone else who stood in their way, as long as Marinette had Adrien to fight them with, she was going to be okay. 

Marinette was brought out of her thoughts by Adrien, who had walked up right to her, and asked her to join him for a chat. Lila was fuming, and Marinette knew she was waiting to see what she would do. 

Marinette hesitated and before she could answer, Adrien had walked over to Lila and asked, “Would you like to join us too, Lila?” 

Lila looked speechless only for a moment, before regaining her composure and responding, “Oh, I’d love to, Adrien, thank you.” Lila stood and made her way towards Adrien, and Marinette followed close behind, avoiding the other girls who were clearly trying to catch her attention. 

Adrien led the three of them to a spot as far away from the gathered girls as possible. “How are you guys doing?” Adrien asked the two girls once they were all seated. 

“I’m wonderful, Adrien,” Lila responded with a slight purr that almost made Marinette gag. Marinette just smiled and nodded, trying to look as though she wasn’t going to say anything. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you all night,” Adrien started, but Lila cut him off before he could continue. 

“I’ve been waiting to talk with you too, Adrien,” Lila said smoothly, leaning in close and moving her hand up his arm. “Why don’t we go off somewhere just the two of us?” 

Adrien cleared his throat before saying, “Actually I need to talk with both you and Marinette together.” Lila blanched and didn’t say anything, and Adrien jumped on the chance to talk. “I got the results of the voice analysis back from the movie date two weeks ago.” Lila paled, her eyes darted between Marinette and Adrien and Marinette made sure her expression was blank so she had nothing to read there. 

“What did you find?” Marinette asked, sweetly. 

Adrien shifted so he could see both girls at the same time. “Do you want to answer that question...” Adrien paused before finishing his question, just as Marinette had told him to. She knew the cameras would eat this up. “Lila?” he asked, turning fully towards the girl in question. 

Lila stilled, like an animal trapped in the corner before they try to escape. “I—I don’t know what you mean.” Lila stammered, trying to sound innocent. 

Adrien looked to the gathered producers and one of them walked towards the three of them and handed Adrien a manila folder. He unclasped the folder and slid out some paperwork. “These pages here contain the analysis of both of your voices as well as the conversation in the bathroom. It was determined that the voice that threatened the other was in fact, yours, Lila.” He handed the paperwork to Lila, and even from across the couch, Marinette could read that they had indeed identified Lila as the villain in this situation. 

Lila didn’t say a word and Adrien continued, gently taking the papers out of her hands and slipping them back into their folder. “Lila, you lied to me, both at the movie set and at the evening portion of the date. I told you that I cannot stand liars. What possessed you to threaten Marinette, rip her dress, and slap yourself, I may never know. But, I would like to ask you to leave the show.” 

That seemed to snap Lila out of her daze. Her head snapped up and she had tears beginning to stream down her face. “Please, Adrien I am so sorry. I felt threatened by Marinette in that beautiful dress and I was just trying to get you to notice me. Please, don’t send me home. We have so much in our relationship that we can explore and I really see you and I making it far in this competition.” The tears were coming steadily now and her voice was getting louder and more hysterical. “Please, I’ll do anything. I’ll be nicer around the house and stop messing with Marinette, and do whatever you want, but please let me stay.” Lila glanced at Marinette, with what appeared to be genuine sorrow in her eyes, though Marinette had a feeling that whatever she was about to say was solely for the benefit of Adrien. “Maybe we could start again, on a clean slate. I bet we could be really great friends.” Lila’s eyes had a slight twinkle to them that Marinette recognized as a challenge. If Marinette turned down Lila, she would be seen as the mean one who pushed away a crying girl begging for friendship. Marinette didn’t really have a choice. 

“Of course, I’ll forgive you Lila,” Marinette said, choking on the words. She forced a smile on her face before reaching out and grabbing Lila’s hand. Lila grasped Marinette’s hand with her other one and Marinette saw Adrien glance between the two girls. 

“Lila, I’ll make a deal with you. If you can improve your attitude and be nicer to everyone on set, not just to me and Marinette, and I can see the evidence at the cocktail party, I’ll let you stay.” Marinette felt her heart sink as Lila nodded aggressively and flung her arms around Adrien’s neck. That was _not_ part of the plan, but very typical of Adrien. When the two broke apart and Adrien met Marinette’s eyes, she could feel the disbelief and slight betrayal portrayed in them. He paled slightly and mouthed “We’ll talk later,” before he was blocked by Lila standing up and facing Marinette. 

Marinette stood up and offered Lila a hug, knowing full well that she would have to accept it. With her mouth covered by Lila’s hair, she whispered, “You don’t own me anymore and you don’t tell a single soul about what you saw that night, is that clear?” When they broke a part, Lila gave her a slight nod, even though there was a fire blazing in her eyes. She then walked back to the gathered group of girls, and Marinette made to follow, but was stopped by Adrien grabbing onto her hand and pulling her back. 

“Thank you for always being honest with me, Marinette,” Adrien said, pulling her closer to him, an apology written on his face. Marinette sighed and let go of her frustration with Lila staying. Right now, Adrien needed a friend, not someone who questions his decisions. She could bring it up after the cocktail party later this week. 

“I like you too much and I’m falling for you too hard to ever disrespect you by lying to you.” Marinette said sweetly, very aware of Adrien’s lips and how close they were to hers. He slowly, agonizingly, closed the distance between them and gently kissed her. She melted under his touch and felt her heart swell. She wished she could shout it from the rooftops that she loved this man, but it wasn’t time yet, and she knew that. But it did make her heart skip a couple of beats knowing that not only did he know that she loved him, but he loved her too. 

They broke apart, and Adrien walked Marinette back to the gathered group of girls. He grabbed the group date rose as Marinette sat down next to Juliette, who whispered, “Talk later?” to which Marinette nodded. Adrien scanned the group of girls before his eyes settled on Marinette’s corner of the couch. 

“Juliette,” he said, and she blushed before standing to walk closer to him. “Will you accept this rose?” She gave him an enthusiastic “Yes!” before giving him a hug and sitting back down next to Marinette. Marinette reached over and squeezed her arm as Lucie did the same from the other side of her. 

“Thank you so much ladies for a great day. I had a ton of fun with you all and I am looking forward to seeing you again at the cocktail party later this week.” He gave the group one of his dazzling smiles before Victoria stepped forward and rushed the girls out to the van that was waiting to take them all, Lila included, back to the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the rights to these akuma outfits. The akuma outfits were heavily based off of this amazing post I found on Tumblr! I absolutely _adored_ the look and talent of these and thought they would be perfect for this chapter! I made Copy Cat’s outfit into Chat Noir’s and inverted Antibug (switched the black and red) to make Ladybug, but otherwise all of these ideas are hers! My descriptions aren’t as amazing as the actual artwork, so check out the original post and tell her how amazing she is! https://thesleepypencil.tumblr.com/post/188034964905/finished-fashion-baby


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Not a very long chapter, but I hope you enjoy! :)

That night, Marinette locked herself, Juliette, and Hanna in the closet and gave them the low down of what happened to Lila on the group date, only leaving out what Lila had hanging over Marinette’s head all week. 

“Oh my gosh, how is she still in the mansion?!” Hanna asked, crossing her arms against her chest, as Juliette nodded. Marinette had never seen Hanna this angry before. “If it’s proven that she purposely tried to sabotage you, then _send her home_.” 

“He’s trying to give her a second chance, because that’s the kind of person he is,” Marinette explained, trying very hard to keep her frustration with the situation out of her voice. Marinette agreed with Hanna and Juliette, but she had to stand with her partner, no matter how stupid of a decision this was. 

“Just because it’s ‘in his nature’ doesn’t mean he has to let her walk all over him,” Juliette pointed out. She opened her mouth like she was going to continue, but then let out a gasp. “Does this mean I have to be _nice_ to her from now on?” The disgust in her voice matched the look on her face enough to make both Hanna and Marinette burst out laughing. 

“Don’t worry,” Marinette reassured her, gently resting a hand on Juliette’s arm. “You only have to be nice to her if she’s nice to you first, and I can’t imagine that going over well _at all_.” The girls laughed once more, and exited the bathroom, their spirits high despite the devastating news. 

Those high spirits didn’t last, at least for Juliette, as it quickly became apparent that Lila really _was_ trying to change her ways. They observed her for the rest of the week, and by Saturday morning, Lila was quiet, yes, but kind to everyone in the house, including the staff coming in to set-up. It was clear, however, that she was still uncomfortable with her newfound niceness, as when one of the crew members said something to her, she jumped and ran away without responding. 

After that embarrassing moment, Lila didn’t appear again until the cocktail party started, right before sundown. Marinette was feeling pretty confident going into this cocktail party, not only for herself, but also for her friends. Except for the fact that Lila had been keeping her word, Juliette already had a rose, and Hanna looked exceptionally beautiful tonight in her light pink gown. 

The girls were standing around the Date Card room, all holding a glass of something. They were informed that Adrien was on his way, and Marinette got lost in the conversations happening around her. There were only eight of them left, and besides how empty the room felt without all of the other girls, it also felt warmer and more welcoming. Marinette felt as though she knew these girls really well, and that they all genuinely cared for each other, despite the fact that they were all dating the same man. When Marinette glanced around this Date Card room, she saw the whispers of girls who had been here and had gone, Gabrielle, Alice, Sofia, and others. She saw them laughing, saw the cliques they had all made in the beginning and even saw the group come together over various things, usually involving Lila. 

Marinette’s heart hurt a little, for the girls who had left, and she hoped that she would one day get to see them all again, without the pressures of the show, and hopefully with no hard feelings. 

Marinette’s thoughts were interrupted by Adrien walking into the room, looking sharp and collected in his black suit tonight. He gave the girls a smile before addressing them all, “Good evening, ladies. This week has been one for the record books as the most fun week in Bachelor history.” He gave a quick glance to Chris off-stage, who gave a small shrug and a smile before Adrien turned back to the girls and said, “I’m taking that as a yes,” which made everyone giggle. “Anyway, tonight is going to be difficult on all of us, and I just want to prepare you for how important the conversations we are going to have tonight are.” A sudden seriousness fell over the room, and Marinette could hear every girl slowly breathe in anticipation for what the night held. 

“With that being said, Camille, can I steal you for a second?” Adrien addressed Camille, who silently stood up, accepted his outreached hand and followed him off to a sitting area somewhere else in the house. 

Instead of the normal chatter and excitement that spread through the girls while waiting on their time with Adrien, his little speech left all of the girls silent. The seriousness of what was to happen tonight hit them all hard and left them wondering who of them would be saying goodbye tonight for the last time.

\----------------------------------------------------

The night was not going well for Adrien. He was hoping that the decision that had to be made tonight would be obvious after the cocktail party, but Adrien had talked with every single girl except Lila, and he didn’t want to send any of them home. He was even so contemplative during his time with Marinette that he felt as though it flew by without either of them barely saying a word.

It also didn’t help his stress levels that his Father had decided to show up to this cocktail party and brood from behind the camera at every one of his conversations. As Adrien made his way around the house to find Lila, he noticed his Father’s watchful eye following his movements. He hadn’t said much to his Father after the confrontation with Marinette that day on the beach. He knew his Father had been avoiding him as much as Adrien had been avoiding him, but a conversation was inevitable, especially with Adrien narrowing the girls down to the top six tonight. 

Adrien found Lila. sitting by a fire by herself outside, just looking out at the stars. She looked peaceful and actually very pretty without a scowl or that fake smile on her face, and he almost didn’t want to disturb her. He cleared his throat softly, to announce his presence, and only spoke once she met his gaze. “Do you mind if I join you?” 

The fake smile was back, but something seemed different about it as he sat down to join her. “How’s the rest of your week been?” Adrien asked politely. Although it was a loaded question, he truly was curious at how she had done. 

She gave a small shrug before answering, “It’s been okay.” Adrien waited for her to go on, smiling encouragingly. Another sigh before she continued, “I’ve been on my best behavior and everyone in the house can attest to it.” Another sigh and then, “It’s just hard to change a behavior that has become a habit. But I’ll do anything for you, Adrien. Anything to stay here in the house, to be able to spend more time with you.” She looked on the verge of tears, as though she had been crying on and off all day. 

“I believe you, Lila, and I’ve been asking around. Both the crew members and the other girls are impressed with your shift in behavior and I’m honored that you’re trying so hard for me.” 

Lila gave a small smile that didn’t feel real and Adrien just stared. This was not the Lila who shoved Marinette into that bathroom and proceeded to attempt to destroy Marinette. This was not the seductive girl who flirted _heavily_ and kissed poorly and tried too hard to steal all of the attention no matter where they were. This was a broken girl and someone who was going through something bigger than Adrien, bigger than her spot on this show. 

He leaned close to her, close enough that the cameras wouldn’t pick up on his words. “Do you want me to send you home, or do you want me to keep you here.” There was a pause where she didn’t say anything and Adrien added, “Please be honest.” 

Lila didn’t say anything, and Adrien pulled back from her, scanning her face for any signs or emotions. He also checked the sky, in case an akuma decided to take advantage of her on her bad day. She slowly shook her head and whispered, “Do whatever you think is best.” Before standing up and leaving Adrien behind. He watched her walk away and wondered if that was the first time he had seen a glimpse of the _real_ Lila, the Lila that hid under the façade she put on every day. He wondered how many people in the world have seen that Lila, and if he was possibly the first.

\----------------------------------------------------

The conversation with his Father was brief and curt.

“Lila stays.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Then they parted ways, Adrien to the room where he decided who gets the roses, and his Father off to do whatever he pleased. 

Adrien didn’t need his Father’s instructions on this particular day though, as he had already decided to keep Lila. He didn’t know what was going on, but he had promised her that if she made an effort to be nice, then she could stay and continue on the show. He didn’t know what was going on in her head or her heart to make her act like that with him, but he was going to keep his word. 

Once all of the roses were decided, as hard as it was to choose which girls would go home, he had to make the decision at some point, and he felt as though tonight was the right night. Even if it did hurt the people he cared about. Plagg didn’t say a word as he saw the two girls who were leaving that night, though he buried himself into Adrien’s pocket and gave him a reassuring, “It’ll all be okay.” before Adrien left the room and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was calming the girls around her and pretending to look frazzled too as they lined up for the Rose Ceremony. Sasha, Juliette, and Kagami were at the end of the line looking calm with their roses in hand and gently reassuring the other girls. Marinette was right next to Hanna, a first for the Rose Ceremonies, who was gripping Marinette’s hand so hard she was beginning to lose feeling in her fingers.

Victoria, calm despite the air of nervousness in the area, instructed the girls to walk into the Rose Ceremony room and stand only on the first row of risers, as there weren’t enough of them to make two rows without it looking weird. Lucie, who was at the front, took a deep breath before starting off the line of girls. 

They silently lined up, the silence in the room heavier than it had ever been, especially with the three roses staring at them on the podium. They all stood there, looking nervous before Adrien walked in. He studied the girls and for once didn’t smile before he spoke. “Tonight was a hard decision, and I know that it’s only going to get harder as we get closer to the end. But, I had to make the decisions that will bring me closer to my wife at the end of this, and as much as it pains me to do this, I really feel as though this is bringing me closer to my wife.” Adrien didn’t even look at Marinette at that, as he had last week. Something must really be bothering him. 

He paused for another moment, staring at the roses before finally picking one up. “Marinette,” he looked at her then, and she walked towards him, a small smile gracing his face. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear. 

She whispered back a “Yes,” before taking the rose and giving him a hug. “You can do this,” she whispered in his ear, hoping to provide a little encouragement to make this rose ceremony a little easier. When she pulled away, his eyes offered her a thanks before she walked back to her spot in line. Hanna grabbed her hand and gave her a Hanna-smile, which Marinette returned. 

“Lucie,” Adrien said, a little bit more confidence in his voice. Lucie traveled to Adrien, relief evident in her walk as she went through the same routine that Marinette just had. There was one rose left, with Camille, Hanna, and Lila left to receive one. 

Marinette didn’t dare let herself hope that this was the moment Lila went home. 

Chris Harrison stepped out of the shadows and addressed the group, “Ladies, Adrien, this is the final rose tonight.” Chris turned towards Adrien and said, “When you’re ready, Adrien,” before disappearing once more. 

Adrien stared at that rose for a very long time. Marinette almost felt herself sigh in relief and squeal in excitement. He was about to say Hanna’s name, and then Lila _would be gone forever_. It was a glorious thought that made her want to jump with excitement, and the only thing that kept her from doing that was Hanna’s death-grip that once again was cutting off circulation in Marinette’s hand. She wished she could send a thought to Hanna to tell her to relax that she was safe, that Adrien wouldn’t get rid of her just yet. But before she could offer Hanna a reassuring smile, Adrien picked up the rose and said, very quietly, 

“Lila.” 

Marinette felt her jaw drop. She could barely take her eyes off of Adrien as Lila slowly walked towards Adrien and the rose that had been assigned to her. When her eyes did move, it was to Juliette, who on the other end of the line, was already crying. Marinette realized that she was too, especially when she looked at Hanna, who was trying her hardest to keep herself composed knowing that the cameras were watching her reaction. 

Marinette hadn’t even noticed that Lila had accepted her rose and gotten back in line with the others until Chris stepped back out of the shadows and said those heart-wrenching words. “Camille, Hanna, I’m sorry. Please take a moment to say your goodbyes.” 

Juliette was on the two of them quickly, and they all were embraced in a hug, not bothering to hide the tears any longer. Other girls had come to wish Hanna well and Camille even came over, but all of it felt numb. 

Hanna was leaving. Hanna, the girl who welcomed Marinette as a friend that first night, no questions asked. Hanna, who had stood up for her that first night as well, and had stood by her side time and time again. Hanna, who introduced Marinette to Juliette and created a group of friends that Marinette will cherish forever. Hanna, who had the bubbliest laugh. Hanna, who’s smile lit up a room. Hanna, who had the innocent idea to make a pillow fort in the living room. 

Marinette saw all of these memories and more flash as she squeezed Hanna, unwilling to let her go. Thankfully, the producers were letting the girls take a little longer to say their goodbyes, so Marinette didn’t feel rushed. Their trio broke apart and Hanna hugged each girl individually, which allowed Marinette to hug Camille as well. 

When Hanna got to Marinette, Marinette couldn’t even pretend to hold it together. But Hanna held her, as she always had, and whispered in her ear. “Thank you so much for being with me through this. Adrien deserves a friend as amazing as you, and I know that you’re going to be a wonderful wife to him one day.” Marinette didn’t even have the breath to argue with her as she hiccupped in her crying. “You go on, and you sweep that boy off of his feet.” She pulled back and Marinette managed a nod before Juliette kissed her on the cheek, and went to say goodbye to Adrien. 

As she walked down the hallway that led to the front door, where a car would be waiting for her, Juliette moved beside Marinette, grabbing her hand and gently laying her head on Marinette’s. They both watched as their best friend made her way with Adrien, only looking back once, giving them a soft reassuring smile, before disappearing out of Marinette’s sight for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie guys, writing the end of this chapter made me cry 😢


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you don't hate me too much after that last chapter, but maybe Marinette will vocalize some of your feelings tonight for you ;-)
> 
> Also, I would just like to say that I am completely FLOORED by the response to this fic! I randomly noticed that we hit 1,000+ kudos these past two weeks and I am still recovering from the shock!! Thank you so SO much for reading and supporting and commenting and the kudos! I never thought that my first fic would ever be this loved and it's all thanks to you <3 XOXO

Marinette was not okay. She woke up Monday morning, almost forgetting about the Rose Ceremony last night and all that had conspired. She almost didn’t believe it, until she ran to Hanna’s room and saw nothing. Marinette just stood there, staring at the empty space, remembering how they had helped her pack just like every other week yesterday afternoon, not realizing that it really would be her last time in this room. 

A couple of minutes later, Juliette joined her, standing in the doorway next to Marinette, staring at the room. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But most of all, she _needed_ to talk to Adrien. 

Marinette and Juliette didn’t leave each other’s side all day. In fact, they barely left Hanna’s room. They just sat in there, on her bed, in silence and occasionally told stories of times they had shared. Marinette felt as though she and Juliette were mourning Hanna, even though she was very much so alive. Her time on the show, however, had ended, and they both knew they needed to get it all out of their systems now, before the date card showed up tomorrow and they moved on to a new week. They had already decided they weren’t going to be like Zoe, moping around until she got kicked off herself. 

Marinette had almost forgotten about her patrol with Chat that night, until Juliette excused herself for a shower and an early lights-out, Marinette mimicking the thought, headed to her room. She was very grateful that Juliette was still there, at least to make the sting of losing Hanna feel a little less, since she had someone to share it with. 

When she got to their meeting spot, Ladybug was suddenly very anxious. She had never felt this upset with something Adrien had done, and she didn’t know how far she could go into the patrol without bringing it up. 

Turns out, not very far. 

As soon as Chat stepped onto the rooftop, Ladybug dropped her transformation and blurted out, “What the hell happened last night?” 

Chat, being the smart man that he was, quickly dropped his transformation as well so that Adrien was standing in front of her. He looked uneasy and very _very_ confused at her line of thinking. He did however, try to play it off. “Well, it’s nice to see you too Bugaboo.” 

“Don’t you Bugaboo me. What in the world made you _keep_ Lila and send Hanna, of all people, home?” 

Marinette watched Adrien’s face drop and his left hand automatically reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Oh,” was all he said in response. 

Marinette knew she needed to give him a chance to speak to explain his actions, which she figured there was a good reason for, but she couldn’t help herself. She had been so upset about Hanna leaving and the fact that Lila got to stay only fueled her frustration. Seeing Adrien standing in front of her on this rooftop in a secluded part of Paris looking uncomfortable and in no way _sorry_ for his actions made her frustration turn into anger very quickly. 

“Oh? That’s all you have to say for yourself? Oh?!” Marinette was fuming, so much so that she started pacing, unable to stand still with all of the anger floating around in her. “You decided to keep the evilest person in Paris _on the show_ giving her the illusion that she has a chance to win your heart, and in exchange decided to send home the sweetest, kindest, friendliest person who actually cares about you and was such a good friend to me.” Marinette gave out an angry sigh/screech that would have woken the neighbors if there were any in this area. 

“Marinette I can explain—” 

“Oh?” Marinette interrupted. Internally, she was yelling at herself to _stop talking_ and yet this part of her that was sick of Lila and her crap and just having to deal with all just snapped and that part of her won out and she knew there would be nothing to stop her from this rant until she ran out of things to say. “You can explain? Yes, Adrien, please explain to me why you would keep this girl who has been bullying me the entirety of the show, that you even have _proof_ that she has been targeting me, and instead get rid of one of my best friends and allies!” 

Adrien waited a beat before opening his mouth to talk. “Marinette,” he said softly, gently taking a small step towards her, as if she were some wild animal waiting to attack him. Which, once she thought about it, she kind of was. “I need you to realize how much say my Father really has in this show.” At the mention of Gabriel, Marinette rolled her eyes. Adrien paused in his slow walk at the motion, but continued to speak in that same soft voice. “Something about Lila freaks my Father out, and I _have_ to keep her on the show at least until the Top 3. I think it may have something to do with her dad being a diplomat, but that is one point that my Father won’t budge on.” 

“So?” Marinette asked, fire in her voice. “Why does your dad have to rule your life? Stand up to him, Adrien, tell him what you’re really thinking and show him that you are an _adult_ who can make his own damned decisions.” 

Adrien was right in front of her now, and she could see the worry and sadness in those beautiful green eyes as his hands gently found hers. “Marinette,” he whispered, his voice even softer now, “You do realize that if it’s just going to be me and you at the end, that everyone else will have to go.” Marinette huffed out air exasperatedly, realizing that he was right but not wanting to admit it. “I hated sending Hanna home, especially knowing what she means to you, but I had to. Lila showed me that there is a heart in there on Saturday, so I decided to give her another chance. Hanna just happened to be the first one that you truly cared about that I had to send home because it was time.” 

All of what Adrien was saying made sense, and yet... “Lila showed you she has a heart?” Marinette asked icily, her anger cooling into something much much worse. “I thought the decision to keep her was because of your father, not because you decided she’s a _decent human being_.” 

She released his grip and walked to the other side of the rooftop, sitting aggressively on the edge, and debating whether to transform and storm off or stay and continue to be mad at Adrien. She ended up choosing the latter. 

She heard his footsteps and knew he had followed her before he spoke, “You didn’t see the way she was Saturday night. She looked defeated and was upset and crying. When we talked, I really thought that Lila had a heart in there, some sort of shield that she had decided to put down for me.” Adrien paused, but Marinette waited for him to continue, none of that eliciting a comment from her. After a moment, Adrien let out a sigh. “Marinette, I know you don’t like her, but I don’t like leaving any of these relationships in a bad way. You saw what happened to Sofia. Lila would have been an akuma that would be vicious both mad or sad, and she was broken on Saturday. I’m keeping her on the show to appease both my Father and myself, so that I won’t feel as guilty if she gets turned into an akuma.” 

Marinette hadn’t thought about that, how Adrien felt after Sofia’s akuma. She knew that every time she accidentally pushed someone to be transformed into an akuma, she always felt guilty, but grateful that she could at least do something to help them. 

Her anger subsided slightly, and she was about to tell him so when Adrien spoke up once again from behind her. 

“Marinette, do you want to go home?” Adrien asked, softly. So softly, she almost thought she had imagined the words. Marinette whipped around, and noted that although Adrien had followed her, he remained standing a good distance away from her. When she looked at him, he wasn’t making eye contact with her, and was instead studying his feet. 

“I can’t go home, Adrien, we have to patrol.” She quipped, rolling her eyes and turning back towards the Paris skyline. 

“That’s not what I meant,” 

Marinette didn’t even bother to turn around, her annoyance obvious in her tone. “Well, then what did you mean?” 

“Do you want me to send you home from the show?” 

Marinette froze. She slowly turned back around and faced Adrien, reading his posture a completely different way. He looked like a dejected kitty that had been kicked out of the house in the rain and was coming to the realization that he may not be let back in. She quickly got up and ran towards him, forcing him to look her in the eye. 

“Adrien Agreste, where in the world did you get that idea?” Her voice was significantly softer, her anger dissipating at his thought process. 

“You’re mad at me, I just figured you were done. That you wanted to leave and forget I or the show ever existed.” When she looked in those eyes, she again saw the worry and sadness in them, but this time she understood that those were because of _her_. Worry that she would feel the need to leave, and overwhelming sadness that she would actually do so. 

“Oh, Kitty, that’s not how these work.” She reached out and cupped his cheek and was relieved when he leaned into the touch. “People in relationships get in fights all the time. My parents are constantly bickering over little things and my mom gets mad at my papa a lot, but they get through it and solve their problems and then they love each other even more after it’s all done.” She pulled him into a hug and just held him. He was clutching her as if she was his lifeline, which she may just be. 

“We bicker and fight all the time as Ladybug and Chat Noir, what made you think that this was anything different?” Marinette asked as they broke apart. 

Adrien’s face pinked and he dropped eye contact once again before he answered, “That relationship is permanent. We can’t quit saving Paris, and I knew we couldn’t quit being partners no matter what. So, I just assumed we fixed our problems and forgave each other solely because of how much Paris needed us together. But, you and me as our regular selves, well, you have to choose me and I figured that if you’re this mad at me, you may not want to choose me anymore.” 

His voice slowly tapered off at the end, so Marinette had to strain to hear the end of the sentence, but when she realized what he said, her heart dropped. She didn’t know what she could have done in the past seven years to make him see their relationship differently, but she’s glad that she was able to show him how proper relationships, both friendships and dating relationships work now. And she could show him what unconditional love looks like, and how much he deserves to be loved that way. 

“Oh, Adrien,” she sighed as she embraced him again, this time their lips meeting. Marinette poured her love into the kiss, hoping Adrien would realize her point without any words being necessary. 

When they broke apart, she whispered, “Adrien, it’s going to take a lot more than me being angry at you for me to leave you. I’ve stuck with you for 7 years through good times and bad, and I don’t plan to quit anytime soon.” 

Adrien let out a sigh of relief, which showed on his face as well, as he wrapped her into a hug. “Will you marry me?” he breathed into her hair. 

The question caused butterflies of excitement to stir in her, but she pushed the thoughts about their future away as she whispered, “It’s not time for that, silly. We still have a couple of weeks to go, and you still have to meet my parents first.” 

That caused Adrien to pull away from Marinette and blush slightly. His expression changed slightly as he studied her before hesitantly asking, “So, you’re not mad at me anymore?”

Marinette considered for a minute, and realized that she would never be able to stay mad at him for long. She had burned through most of her anger with the yelling and figured they could come back to the “Lila has a heart” conversation and discuss that without the yelling and anger present. 

“No, I’m done being angry for now,” she answered calmly, which caused Adrien to let out a small laugh of relief. “Just,” she started, trying to figure out how to phrase what she was thinking, “let me know next time? Like just give me a heads up when Juliette has to go home, so I can be better prepared.” 

Adrien nodded solemnly, “I will,” he promised, before pulling her into another hug. 

Marinette savored the feeling of having Adrien’s arms around her before she pulled away and brought them both back to reality. “We really need to go patrol.” 

Adrien sighed softly before giving her a kiss on her forehead, “You’re right, Bug, we need to go protect Paris.” 

They quickly found their kwamis hiding behind an air conditioning unit, trying to look as though they weren’t spying on the two of them from afar. 

Once they had both transformed, they made quick work of their patrol. They were however stopped short when they came across a rogue akuma, just flying around Paris looking for a victim to akumatize. Ladybug made quick work of purifying it, but it wasn’t until she was back in her bed at the mansion as Marinette that the thought occurred to her that the akuma could have been coming for _her_ before she burned out all of her anger on that rooftop.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait I've been aggressively reading a book series and therefore, writing has kind of fallen to the side (even though I've had plenty of time ugh) BUT here's a chapter to make up for it! I hope you enjoy!

When Marinette met up with the other girls for the date card the next morning, it seemed that Juliette had found a way to pull herself together as well. She was chipper than normal and was chatting with the other girls when Marinette walked in, almost late as usual. 

Marinette took the seat next to Juliette who smiled at her before turning and finishing her conversation with Kagami, of all people. Marinette only heard the tail end of their conversation, but it was enough to peak her interest. 

“...let you know when it’s been decided, and you’ll be there?” Juliette asked as Marinette sat down. Kagami gave a curt nod in response before standing up and moving to the other side of the room. 

Marinette gave Juliette a look, but she just winked and turned her attention towards Lucie, who had gone to grab the date card. 

Looking around the date card room, Marinette was once again struck by how many girls there were remaining. Including Lucie, 6, which meant that 2 would go home this week, and next week would be hometowns, where Adrien would _finally_ get to meet Marinette’s parents. 

Lucie came back with only one date card. Marinette could see that she was confused, but she hid it really well for the cameras. “Here we are ladies!” She smiled and cracked the seal on the card reading out, “Juliette,” which elicited a gasp from the girl sitting directly next to Marinette. “Let’s ride together,” Lucie read before setting the card down on the table. 

Juliette looked genuinely surprised, and had turned to Marinette to say something when Lila stood up, looking ready to pop. 

“WHY is there only ONE date card?!” Lila asked the general population. It was a question that everyone else was thinking, but only Lila would feel the need to stand up in the middle of the room and scream it at everyone. Marinette realized with a jolt that this was the first time she’d heard Lila be mean to anyone since that conversation with Adrien at the last group date. _Well that deal lasted about 4 days_. Marinette thought with a smirk. “What about the group date? When will we find out about that?” 

All of the girls looked at the group of producers as one, but a more familiar face stepped out to address the room. 

“Well good morning ladies,” the beautiful face of Adrien said as he smiled at them all. Lila had the good sense to sit down and keep her mouth shut as Adrien went on. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to be here to explain it all earlier, I had a work thing that had to be cleared up.” Adrien’s eyes locked on Marinette’s, where her unasked question was. He couldn’t say anything, but she could read the expression in his eyes, _Father_ , and she knew they could chat about it later. “Anyway, this week is a special week. I want to spend a lot more time with all of you individually, so I’m going to be doing some one-on-one dates only this week. Sadly, not everyone will get a date, but I’ll still be able to spend plenty of time with all of you.” Adrien paused, and as much as she hated it, she had a feeling she _wouldn’t_ be getting a date this week. 

“As most of you know,” Adrien continued without looking at Marinette, which only confirmed her suspicion. “Next week is Hometowns, which means I’ll finally get to spend some time meeting your family and learning more about where you come from. However, that makes my decision this week even harder. That just means I have a lot of work ahead of me,” Adrien got that twinkle in his eye that meant he was doing something mischievous. He walked towards where Marinette and Juliette were sitting and held out his hand to the latter. “Juliette, how about we start out our date right now?” 

Juliette blushed and gave a small nod, taking his hand and standing so they were eye to eye. “Perfect,” Adrien responded, flashing that gorgeous smile, “I’ll wait here for you and I’ll see you in about an hour?” Adrien smoothly switched spots with Juliette to where now _he_ was sitting right next to Marinette, and close enough for _their thighs to be touching_. 

Juliette stood there shocked for a moment until Marinette gave her hand a squeeze and she shot off towards her bedroom to get ready. Marinette could feel Adrien laughing at her as she ran up the stairs, as well as the stares of all of the other girls. 

It wasn’t like they had never had conversations with Adrien as a group, they just were usually more prepared for them then they were today. Even Marinette felt slightly awkward and speechless, and she could see it in the faces of the other girls as well. Well, all except Lila, who quickly made a place on the other side of Adrien and was suddenly acting sweet again. 

Marinette tried hard to focus on the conversation at hand, but with Adrien sitting so close to her... she was losing her mind. She wanted to touch him, grab his hand or lean her head on his shoulder. She wanted to talk with him and ask him if she had a date or even to warn him that Lila might be going back to her old ways. Instead, still highly aware of the other girls and their watchful eyes, she shifted slightly to where they were just sitting next to each other, no physical touch at all. Thankfully, Adrien seemed to be the only one who noticed. 

Juliette was ready in a record 15 minutes, and she looked beautiful. Her hair was down and wavy, her make-up natural, and her jeans, booties, and cute white top would look great wherever Adrien took her. When she walked in the room, slightly panting from her run downstairs, Adrien stood and gave her a hug. 

“You look wonderful. You ready to go?” She gave him a nod and he turned to wave at the girls. “I’ll see you all later,” he said as he hooked his arm around Juliette’s waist and walked her towards the front door. Juliette quickly looked back and gave Marinette the biggest smile, which she responded with a quick thumbs up before Juliette disappeared out the door. 

Once she was gone, Lila was the first out of the room. Whatever she did to entertain herself every day at the mansion was clearly something that needed her attention immediately. Marinette rolled her eyes as she stood up and made her way to Lucie and Sasha. 

“Well that was an eventful morning.” Marinette said as she approached the pair. They both turned to her suddenly, as if Marinette had walked in on a conversation that she wasn’t supposed to hear. Lucie recovered first and responded with a, “Yeah, I was super confused that there was only one date card outside, and what are the chances that Adrien shows up and takes Juliette on the date right now?” 

Marinette nodded her agreement, but she was thinking of other things. Why did it seem like everyone was acting weird around her? First Juliette chatting with Kagami, and now these two? She excused herself from the conversation quickly and made her way to her room. At least Tikki would be grateful for her company.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette stayed in her room, sketching and doodling, and doing anything to distract herself from thinking of worst-case scenarios to do with all of the whispering. Eventually, she got so bored that she cleaned Juliette’s room for her, knowing that she probably left it messy while in a hurry to get ready for her date. By mid-afternoon she couldn’t stand it anymore, she gently made her way downstairs, hoping she would find some girls whispering that she could spy on or whatnot. 

Instead, she found Lucie sitting alone at the kitchen island. Marinette sat next to her and waited.   
Most of her interrogations were done with spots and a mask, but she’d learned that silence and facial expressions worked really well, even if no one ever gave up good information about Hawkmoth’s identity or location, but it did come in handy whenever the local police needed her. As she got closer to Lucie, she decided that now might be a good time to try it without the disguise. There was a steady silence between the two of them for almost 2 minutes before Lucie broke the silence.

“We aren’t supposed to tell you yet.” Lucie sighed, finally turning to look at Marinette as well. Marinette stayed quiet still, though raised an eyebrow in an unasked question. Lucie sighed once more before continuing, “Juliette wanted to be the one to tell you. I was sworn to secrecy.” Marinette let the moment last a little longer, staring into Lucie’s eyes and not daring to breathe in case Lucie really did break. Finally, Lucie broke eye contact and groaned, her head gently going to rest on her crossed arms on the counter. 

“Okay! Fine, I’ll tell you.” When she looked back up at Marinette, she was frowning, and she looked so frustrated and child-like that Marinette couldn’t help but smile. “You’re good at this. Just know, Juliette’s going to be mad at me once she finds out I told you.” 

“Oh, she’ll get over it. Now spill.” 

“We’re having a meeting. It was going to be today, since we never have dates on Mondays, but now we just need to come up with a time this week where all of us except Lila can meet up.” 

“All, except Lila?” Marinette asked. 

Lucie looked around the room, as if making sure they were truly alone, before leaning closer and whispering, “Apparently, one of the girls has a scoop on Lila. They know why she is so desperate to stay on the show, and it’s not for Adrien.” Marinette opened her mouth to ask a question, but Lucie cut her off, “That’s all I know. Juliette was just forming the meeting and the girl wanted to remain anonymous in case Lila found out before the meeting happened.” 

Marinette leaned back and thought for a moment. Juliette probably wanted to be the one to tell her because she knew how much Marinette hated Lila. If the girl wanted to remain anonymous, and they were planning a secret meeting without getting the cameras involved, then it must be something serious. 

“So, everyone’s been whispering around me today because...?” Marinette asked, and to her surprise, Lucie busted out laughing. 

“Because Juliette threatened to ‘track us down and hang us by our toes in the cellar while making us listen to old-school Justin Bieber.’” Lucie managed to get out before laughing again. “No one took her seriously, but they were worried what she would actually do if we told you.” 

“Well if she hangs you by your toes in this imaginary cellar, I’ll come rescue you myself.” Marinette giggled. 

The rest of the day went much better, especially when Juliette came home that night, a rose in hand. All of the girls were screaming and excited, especially as Juliette told of their horseback riding adventures from the day and how Adrien had almost fallen off of his horse. As excited as everyone was for Juliette, there was a bit of a gloomy air hanging around the mansion as everyone went to sleep. Marinette felt it too. She was pretty good at math, especially when it came to measurements, but it didn’t take an expert to realize that with only four roses available this week, and Juliette getting one of them, that left only three for the remaining five girls to fight over.

\----------------------------------------------------

The next morning, they were informed that another date card would be arriving, which meant that everyone got ready as if they were going on a date. Everyone, except Juliette and Marinette. Marinette was that confident that she wouldn’t be getting a date this week, so she decided not to waste her energy. 

Sadly, all of the girls’ hard work was in vain, Adrien didn’t show up, only a date card that Sasha read with Lucie’s name on it. The card said, “Let’s catch some waves,” and Lucie was instructed to wear a swimsuit under her clothes, and that Adrien would pick her up in half an hour. Lucie ran off to change, and before the other girls could leave, Lila turned on Juliette. 

“What did you and Barbie doll Lucie do to get two one-on-ones. I should have received the first repeat one-on-one, not you!” Juliette had stood to retort, but Marinette grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room to avoid a confrontation. 

Marinette didn’t let go of Juliette’s arm until they were safely locked in the furthest bathroom from the Date Card room. 

“For someone so small, you are incredibly strong,” Juliette said, thankfully with no malice in her voice. “I’m totally going to have a bruise tomorrow.” 

“Sorry, I just couldn’t let you have it out with Lila.” 

“Well, I appreciate that.” Juliette said in a small voice. 

Marinette let the silence sit for a minute. She hadn’t even realized that Juliette was the first girl to get two one-on-ones, but now that Lila said it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it should have been _her_. It was a crazy thought, especially considering she’s had so much more one-on-one time with Adrien than any of the girls, but for some reason, Marinette was _jealous_ of Juliette. She shook her head to clear those thoughts and to bring her back to the situation at hand. 

“So, I heard there was something you needed to tell me?” Marinette asked, the ghost of laugh in her voice. 

Juliette paused for a moment, clearly still thinking about what had just happened with Lila before her eyes got wide and she frowned. “Who told you?” 

“No one that I’ll let you force to listen to Justin Bieber. My lips are sealed, so spill.” Marinette responded with a sweet smile. 

Juliette sighed, but Marinette knew she wasn’t actually mad. The light in her eyes when she turned towards her let Marinette know that this gossip was too good for her to stay mad about anything for too long. “It’s Lila. Sasha saw something, and she finally figured it all out. Since they’ve been on the same floor this whole time, she saw a handful of things that didn’t make sense until this past weekend when she finally put it together. She won’t tell me more than that, except she said that it’s the reason that Lila is still on the show.” 

Marinette was speechless. This could finally be the thing that got Lila off of the show. “When’s this meeting?” 

Juliette sighed, “It was supposed to be Monday, but we can’t have it without everyone present. I’ve talked with every girl, and they’re on board to listen, and we even had a place to have the discussion and a time, we just don’t have a day where everyone is in the house anymore.” Juliette let out another sigh and moved to sit on the counter next to the sink. “Once all these dates are done I guess before the rose ceremony, we’ll get together and Sasha will spill what she knows.” 

There was a pounding on the door, which made both girls jump. Marinette opened it to find Lucie standing there, looking beautiful in her date outfit. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to find you two. Adrien’s going to be here any minute,” She looked slightly panicked, her eyes wide. She glanced down nervously at herself before meeting their eyes again, “Does this make me look fat?” 

Marinette and Juliette exchanged looks before quickly reassuring her and rushing off to help Lucie put on some finishing touches.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was having the worst week. First, Marinette was upset with him for keeping Lila and sending home Hanna, which is valid, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that he had finally gotten to see the real Lila Saturday night. Then, his Father had a conversation with him, about Marinette, causing him to be late to picking up Juliette and addressing the girls. 

His Father was upset that Marinette was even still here. 

“She was not one of the agreed upon girls. I let you keep her for a couple of weeks, expecting you to eventually pick her off. Then she made it to the top 10, now you’re acting as though she’s going to be in the top 4 and you’re going to go meet her parents. It’s high time she leaves and is sent back to the blasted bakery where she came from.” 

Adrien of course, wasn’t having it. 

He yelled and fought and tried very hard to reason with his dad that Marinette is okay if he would just give her a chance, but his Father wouldn’t budge. Instead of bringing the date card to the girls and asking Juliette to come on the date with him, he showed up 5 minutes late, and ended up just explaining how this week was going to work instead. 

That date went well, except for him totally falling off the horse and making a fool of himself, and the date he was on now, with Lucie was going well too. He had trouble reminding himself not to hate Lucie, since she was his Father’s first choice, but thankfully she was a really sweet girl who was fun to hang out with, so that made it a little easier not to hate her. Plus, she seemed to have absolutely no idea that Gabriel had picked her, or made a deal with her Aunt’s company in America. 

Everything was going fine, they were at the pool on top of the Grand Paris, which they had all to themselves. They had just stepped out of the pool, and Adrien was helping Lucie wrap a towel around her shoulders, when they heard the noise. Being so high up and with minimal noise surrounding them, they could hear clearly what was being shouted from the top of Montparnasse Tower. 

“I’ll show you to never make a bad movie again!” There was a flash of red light, and then something large and white started falling from the top of the tower, almost as if it was being thrown up and over. 

Adrien knew that it was an akuma, he just didn’t know what to do about Lucie. Thankfully, she had heard the noise too, and could see the falling... things as well, but she just looked stunned and alarmed and had no intention to move anywhere. 

“Is that...” she asked nervously, and Adrien did his best to look reassuring. 

“Yeah, I think it’s an akuma, it happens a lot here.” He rushed over to the chair where they had put their things and grabbed everything he could, pushing all of the items into her arms, and pulling her towards the elevator. “Don’t worry, Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of it, for now we just need to move to a safe place.” 

Lucie didn’t look reassured, and Adrien really didn’t have the chance to worry about her as he frantically pushed the main floor button, willing the elevator to move faster. He had to find a way to ditch her so he could transform and hope that Marinette had seen the damage as well and would meet up with him soon. 

That was another crappy thing that had happened to him this week. They wouldn’t let him have a one-on-one with Marinette. Instead, he’s going to have to see her on the closest thing to a group date there is this week. Adrien involuntarily let out a small sigh as the doors to the elevator _finally_ opened and he was able to rush Lucie out of it. 

He stopped short when he saw what was happening outside of the window. Something white and fluffy, about the size of someone’s head, was stacking up outside of the glass doors to the hotel. The doorman was trying his hardest to keep the doors shut, but he was fighting a losing battle. As Adrien and Lucie watched, the doors burst open, letting the sounds of panic and mayhem in from the street as well as the smell of butter and... popcorn? A piece of it rolled towards Adrien and he bent down and snagged a taste. Yep, that was definitely popcorn. Whoever this akuma was, apparently, he was trying to drown the city of Paris in popcorn. 

Man, this week just couldn’t get any worse. 

Adrien shouted at the room, which had a large number of people gathered, “Everyone needs to move up, go gather on the roof, grab as many people as you can!” Thankfully, very few argued, and Lucie grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the elevator and where they had come from. 

He almost let her, before he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to ditch her and find a place to transform. He stopped short and pulled her close so she could hear him over the chaos. “I’m going to go out there and grab as many people as I can. Go with them so I’ll know you’re safe.” 

She didn’t like the idea, but nodded gravely. Before he could turn around she leaned in and gave him a long kiss, which would have been sweet if it wasn’t just delaying him from transforming and saving the city from giant pieces of popcorn. 

He turned and bolted out of the hotel, into the growing sea of concessions.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette had seen some weird things in her time as Ladybug, but a city overrun with popcorn was definitely on her Top 10 List of Weird. Right up there with the giant baby. 

Ladybug gracefully landed on the roof of a building directly across the street from Montparnasse Tower. After a beat, a black feline landed right next to her. 

“Glad you could make it,” she said, without glancing at her partner. 

“Lucie and I were close by, so my biggest worry was ditching her to transform.” 

“You put her somewhere safe?” Ladybug asked, finally turning her head to look at him. She wasn’t trying to be icy with him, but she still couldn’t shake the jealousy she was feeling of Juliette, and now Lucie. Chat cocked his head slightly before coming in close. 

“You know, I think the best part of my day is going to be this akuma and the fact that it let me spend some quality time with my favorite lady.” He whispered, leaning in close enough to where all she had to do was move an inch, and their lips would be touching. 

As much as she wanted to kiss him, and she _really_ wanted to kiss him, they had a city to save. She backed up slightly and gave his bell a flick. “Maybe after we’ve defeated this akuma, Kitty.” 

He gave a small sigh before turning towards the tower, a serious look crossing his face. “I heard him yell, right before he started popping the popcorn I guess.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, Lucie and I were at the Grand Paris. He said something about a bad movie and then the popcorn started falling, but I didn’t know it was popcorn at the time.” 

“You never answered my question,” Ladybug asked, looking Chat straight in the eye. “Is Lucie safe?” As much as she hated not getting to spend time with Adrien this week, she still didn’t want anything to happen to her friend. 

Chat gave her a look, “Please Bugaboo, I’m more responsible than that! She and the rest of the people at the Grand Paris are on the roof, safe from the ever-growing pile of popcorn.” 

Ladybug let out a little sigh of relief, and then turned back to the problem at hand. There was a definite red glow coming from the roof of Montparnasse, that Ladybug knew she needed to check out. “Let’s hop over a building and see what’s making that glow okay?” 

Chat furrowed his eyes, “You can see the glow too?” 

Ladybug cocked her head and looked at her stupid partner. “Of course, I can see the glow dummy. It may be faint but it’s obviously right there,” she pointed towards the top of the tower. 

“I thought only I could see the glow. My eyesight is normally better than yours, you know with the cat thing. I can also hear the popping of the popcorn, and the humming of a machine.” 

Ladybug just stared at him. They could both see the glow, and he could hear a machine and the popping of the popcorn from across the street? Then a memory popped into her head. 

“Our enhanced powers. Tikki said that we’d have more advanced powers after the Task. I get better eyesight for me, and hearing for you are some of our powers.” Ladybug started to get excited, thinking about all of the other things she could possibly now do. 

Chat was studying his hands, an awed look on his face. “I wonder what else we can do.” They were brought out of their thoughts and discovery by a loud crash from across the street. Ladybug shook her head, once again clearing her thoughts. 

“No time for that now, Kitty, we’ve got an akuma to fight!” She then unlatched her yo-yo and swung it to the top of the tower. She felt, rather than saw, Chat unlatch his baton and prepare himself for the jump. “For now, we just need to observe, see what we’re up against. So be stealthy, please.” 

Chat rolled his eyes, “Please, stealthy is my middle name,” and at that, Ladybug shot off across the sky. 

She landed much faster than she was prepared for, and almost fell over, breaking her own stealthy rules. When she righted herself and made sure she was fully hidden, she peered around the air conditioning unit she was behind. 

What she saw didn’t make sense. The first thing she noticed was the large machine pumping popcorn over the side of the roof. It was shaped like a popcorn box, one you would get at a movie theater. Surrounding the popcorn box was a shield of some sort. It was circular and covered the whole machine, and there didn’t appear to be any holes in it at first glance. As she scanned the roof, she found the akuma victim sitting on the edge of the roof, happily watching the city being covered in popcorn. 

“He doesn’t look very scary,” A voice said in her ear. She jumped, but only found Chat Noir lurking behind her. 

“Gosh, don’t do that!” Ladybug whispered, clutching her chest where her heartbeat was still running wild. 

“What? I told you stealthy was my middle name.” He whispered back, still watching the akuma. “At least I didn’t almost fall over in my landing and ruin the whole gig from the start,” he teased with a wink. 

Ladybug blushed slightly before composing herself and looking at the scene before her. “We need to turn off that machine, but to do so, we need to—” 

“Destroy that force field, right.” Chat finished for her. She always loved that they worked on the same wavelength when battling it out with an akuma. 

“Do you want to distract or do you want to take a whack at the shield?” 

Chat shot her a devious smile, “Oh you know I’m a great distraction,” before jumping straight over the unit they were hiding behind and landing on his feet on the other side. Ladybug had never seen him jump that high, but she didn’t have time to think as she heard Chat yell, “Hey! Did the theater not have enough popcorn for you?” 

The akuma turned, and Ladybug noticed that he couldn’t have been more than 12 as she rushed to the shield protecting the popcorn machine. She could hear Chat and the akuma talking and even heard a crazy sounding laugh before all outside noise was drowned out by the sounds the machine was making. The popcorn bag was at least 4 feet high and twice as long, still strongly shooting popcorn off the side of the building. She got close enough to touch the shield surrounding it, when something hit her hard in the stomach and she flew across the roof and felt a _crack_ as she landed against one of the supporting walls that prevented people from falling off. 

She heard Chat yell and knew that she must have been injured, especially with that crack, but for some reason, she felt totally fine. She slowly stood up and noticed that Chat had moved into actual combat with the akuma. When she looked down, nothing was broken and everything seemed to work as it should. Normally, a throw like that would have hurt something, even inside of the magical suit, but she pushed the questions she had away and rushed off to help Chat. 

She noticed that every time the akuma got hit by Chat’s baton, the shield around the machine would flicker. _The two must be connected_. She thought and she had a very sudden and crazy idea. 

Chat noticed her standing there, gave the akuma one last push that knocked him to the ground and ran towards her. “Oh shit, LB you scared me. That sounded like it hurt, are you sure you’re okay?” She gave him a nod and opened her mouth to relay what she had just learned but he beat her to it. “The shield is connected to Revengapop, so if I keep hitting him harder, it should go away. I also think that the akuma is in the machine, which means I’ll need to cataclysm it in order to release the butterfly.” He looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for further instructions. 

All of this happened in less than a minute, and the akuma (Revengapop?) was getting up and starting to come towards them. “Revengapop?” 

Chat at last cracked a smile, “Yeah I laughed when he told me his name too. I’ll distract him some more, you get your Lucky Charm and let’s defeat this thing.” With that, Chat met Revengapop in the middle of the roof and continued their hand-to-hand combat. Ladybug was so in shock, she almost forgot to move. 

Chat was smart, Ladybug knew that to be true in and out of the mask, but she’d never seen him understand her plan as soon as she had come up with it. It was almost like he could see what she was thinking, and was able to come to the same conclusion. The thought made her slightly giddy, as she whispered, “Lucky Charm!” from behind the popcorn machine. 

What fell into her hands was a bottle of melted butter, and suddenly it all made sense. 

She rushed to intercept the fighting with Revengapop, knocking the kid to the ground before saying, “I’ll take care of the shield, you get ready to cataclysm the machine when you can.” 

Chat ran off without saying a word. Ladybug turned to the akuma, who was getting up slower this time. Ladybug could feel new strength surge through her as she looked at Revegapop and readied her yo-yo in her right hand and the butter in her left. 

“What kind of a name is Revengapop anyway?” Ladybug asked as the akuma got to his feet. 

For the first time, Ladybug got a good look at him. He was dressed in a red leather outfit, that covered him head to toe. His hair was dark and messy looking, very similar to Chat’s messy hairstyle. His outfit had three different shades of red on him, and he almost looked like an evil red ninja, except without the nunchucks. 

“I have to revenge all of the bad movies by drowning Paris in popcorn!” Revengapop screamed. If his voice hadn’t given it away, his “evil” motivation may have: this was definitely a teenage boy. 

“Yeah, that totally makes sense,” Ladybug responded sarcastically, which caused Revengapop to launch himself at her in anger. She took that opportunity to spray the liquid butter right into his eyes and knocked him in the head with her yo-yo _hard_. 

He landed on the ground in front of her with a _crunch_ and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shield flicker and go down long enough for Chat to yell “Cataclysm!” and touch the popcorn machine. 

There was a loud _boom_ and as Ladybug watched the machine crumble and the akuma fly out, she also felt her whole world tilt sideways. Montparnasse Tower was splitting in two and within a couple of seconds the building was going down. 

Ladybug grabbed the akuma with her yo-yo and quickly threw the container of melted butter into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” 

She felt more than saw the magical ladybugs seal up the cracks in the building and fix all the rest of the damage from around the city. She released the now-cleansed akuma from her yo-yo with a “Bye bye little butterfly,” before locking eyes with Chat on the other side of the building. He looked scared, his face drained of color and his hands were slightly shaking. She quickly checked on the akuma victim, who really was a 12-year-old boy, before rushing off to her partner. 

“Chat! Are you okay? What happened?” Ladybug nearly sobbed as she watched him slide to the floor of the roof. She sat next to him and hugged him as tight as she could. 

“I don’t know. I hit the machine with my cataclysm and somehow, I hit the building and the whole thing started to crumble.” 

“Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose. It must be our enhanced power. Your cataclysm must be stronger, and possibly last a little longer to where you can hit more than one thing.” His bright green eyes were trained on hers and she could see the worry and the fear of himself in them. She squeezed him a little tighter before continuing. “I fixed it, okay? Everything’s better and there’s a little boy over there who just went through something traumatizing too.” She watched his eyes shift to the boy and saw some of those emotions in his eyes soften. She pulled away from their hug and gripped his arm to where he would look at her again. “Listen to me. We will figure this out. We’ll talk to Tikki and Plagg and get them to tell us more. But, no matter what happens in the future, I will always be with you to fix it.” 

She looked once again into those eyes and saw tears begin to form. He pulled her into a quick kiss, before standing up and walking over to the boy. 

When he asked him, “What movie did you see that made you want to drown Paris in popcorn?” he sounded almost exactly like his old self. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epically curious as to what kind of akumas you guys like to read about! If any of you actually read these notes of mine, tell me in the comments what some of your favorite akumas to read about are!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight language warning in this chapter, so be aware :-)

Marinette was exhausted when she got back to the mansion. Chat had wanted to wait until their next patrol to chat with Tikki and Plagg about these new powers, and she had only agreed because she couldn’t un-see the brokenness in Chat’s eyes after he almost destroyed Montparnasse Tower. She knew he needed some time to come to terms with it all. 

Marinette ate a quick lunch before taking a power nap before Lucie came home. No matter what happens in the evening part of their date, Marinette knew that Lucie would need someone to talk to about the akuma attack, and who better to do so than the Paris native, who just happened to be an expert on akumas. 

Not too long after dinner, Lucie came back, rose in hand, and thoroughly shaken up. Before someone could even ask her how it was, Lucie burst into tears, and the girls quickly pulled her to a couch, supplied her with a glass of water, and let her cry it out a bit before they started asking questions. 

“It was horrible!” Lucie said eventually, after almost 15 minutes of crying. “He never came back. He went into the popcorn to gather more people and send them to the roof, to safety, but he didn’t come back until after all the popcorn disappeared and these magical ladybugs fixed everything.” She sniffed some more and took a sip of water before continuing. “I was so worried about him, and I was powerless to do anything about it.” 

Marinette felt her heart tighten a little at the thought. She was suddenly _very_ grateful that she had the ability to do something about it, even if she couldn’t express that to the girls. There had been a handful of times throughout the years that something had happened to Chat Noir because of an akuma, and the only thing that had gotten her through was the realization that in order for Chat to be okay, she would just need to use her Ladybug fix. The idea of not having that... it hurt too much to think about.

All of the girls (except Lila) seemed to have similar thoughts, and they all just sat with Lucie on the couch until she started to feel better. One by one, the girls started trickling off to bed, until it was only Lucie and Marinette left on the couch. Marinette had been whispering stories of other akumas she’s witnessed throughout the years, some funny, and others that scared her and made her worry about her safety. Lucie listened intently, and seemed comforted that she wasn’t the only girl in the mansion to have experienced a number of akumas. 

“When I attended school in Paris, I would only ever see a couple of akumas, usually on the news that night, but sometimes, they would cross their way into my part of town.” Lucie whispered, after one particular story sparked a memory in Lucie. “I remember how scared I was, but I’ve never been more terrified than I was today.” 

Marinette paused, considering what she was saying. “Maybe today was worse because someone you care about was directly involved in the threat,” Marinette whispered, almost hoping beyond hope that Lucie would deny that was true. 

Instead, she broke down crying again, and Marinette held her closer. “I think I love him,” she whispered into Marinette’s shoulder, and Marinette had to resist the urge to pull away. She knew this would happen. She fully understood that some of these girls would have strong feelings for Adrien, but it still hurt, a lot, to hear Lucie say those words. 

She remembered the way that Adrien treated Juliette earlier this week and how that had made her feel as well. She knew in her heart of hearts that Adrien was just playacting, going along with all these other relationships for the cameras, but a tiny voice in her mind was still whispering, _Maybe he doesn’t love you as much as he used to_. 

Marinette took a deep breath and stood up from the couch, pulling Lucie with her. “Come on, it’s time for you to go to bed. You’ve had a long day, and the best way to get over an akuma attack is to sleep.” Lucie nodded silently and let Marinette drag her to her room. 

Marinette was just about to shut her bedroom door, when a gentle hand grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable,” Lucie said in a voice that was sad yet strong. “I just don’t want to hide my feelings anymore for the sake of not hurting my friends.” Lucie paused once more, but didn’t let go of Marinette’s wrist. When Marinette met her eyes, they were steady. “Thank you for the kind words, they meant a lot.” Then she let go of Marinette’s hand and shut the door softly.

\----------------------------------------------------

When Marinette woke up Wednesday morning, she was still a little shell-shocked from the day before. Not only had she battled a 12-year-old determined to fill all of Paris with popcorn, she discovered that she wasn’t the only girl in the house in love with Adrien. 

As she got dressed for yet another date card, she tried not to think about what Lucie had said. Lucie had never seemed like the kind of girl to see the others as competition, unlike Lila who seemed to think that even the cameramen where her competition. Marinette didn’t know how this would change her relationship with Lucie, but she knew that any conversation that stemmed around Adrien will become a lot more uncomfortable. 

Marinette found Juliette in the Date Card Room, and was assaulted with a whispered comment as soon as she sat down on the couch. “The meeting is happening tonight. Sasha’s getting restless, so no matter who goes on the one-on-one, when they come back we are having this meeting.” Marinette nodded indiscreetly before turning her attention to the rest of the room. 

Lila was ignorantly sitting at the edge of the couch, completely unaware that everyone would know her secret tonight, and that there wasn’t anything she could do about it. 

There was a knock at the door, and Lila slowly made her way to answer it. She wasn’t very enthusiastic when she read, “Sasha,” and told her that, “It says you’ll be ‘touching the clouds’ whatever the hell that means,” before throwing the card on the table and storming away. No one else moved, except for the crew people, who quickly broke set, some of the camera men and producers chasing after Lila, probably for an interview. One producer told Sasha she had an hour to get ready before the van would come. 

When the coast was clear and everyone but the girls had left, Juliette stood up to address the group. “Okay, it’s happening tonight. No matter how late it is when Sasha comes back to the mansion, we will meet in the designated bathroom, you all know the one, and we will discuss the pressing matter at hand. Please be on the lookout, don’t be late, and whatever you do, _please_ don’t let Lila find out anything.” At that, everyone broke up and went their separate ways. Lucie followed Sasha to her room to help her get ready, Kagami went off to do whatever she did during the day (probably stab stuff with that sword thing she has), and Juliette sat back down on the couch next to Marinette. 

“What do you even think this could be about?” Marinette asked in a mix between a whisper and a normal voice, to which Juliette just shook her head. 

“She won’t even tell me a small bit about what this is about. She just needs to hurry home tonight so that way I can be put out of my misery and finally learn some juicy dirt on Lila.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but agree. 

The day passed by quickly enough and before she knew it, they were all waiting in the living room after dinner for Sasha to come back from her date. They heard the front door open, but it was way too early for Sasha to be coming back. Marinette exchanged a confused look with Juliette before a producer came into view. He nodded at the gathered girls in lieu of a hello, before he grabbed Sasha’s suitcase from the hall and rolled it out the door. 

Marinette didn’t understand what had just happened, but Juliette seemed to get to the conclusion faster. She was on her feet and out the door before Marinette even tried to stand up from the couch. Juliette returned a minute later, red in the face and very clearly mad. 

“She’s gone. Adrien fucking Agreste sent her home before she could spill on Lila.” Then she stormed up to her room, and the whole house heard her door slam.

\----------------------------------------------------

Juliette was still mad the next morning. They didn’t know what was going on, but they had been told that a crew was coming to film, so they needed to look presentable and in the Date Card room by 9. 

Once the five of them were seated, a brisk knock was heard on the door, before the creak of the hinges and footsteps walking towards them. Marinette didn’t know what to expect, but she was still surprised to see Chris Harrison when he crossed into the room. 

“Good morning ladies,” he gave them all a nice smile, and for some reason, Marinette began to feel nervous. “As you may have noticed, this week has gone a little bit differently than the others. Adrien feels as though he has a good idea of who he wants to take into Hometowns next week, and with that being said, he doesn’t want to put you all through a formal cocktail party and rose ceremony. So, later this afternoon, the three of you who do not have a rose at this current moment, Kagami, Lila, and Marinette, you will be meeting with Adrien for a three-on-one where one of you will not return to the mansion. Good luck preparing today ladies, and I’ll see you all soon.” Then Chris turned around, and walked out of the door that he came through. 

Everyone sat there, slightly stunned, processing what they were just told. It was a short moment before Lila broke the silence, “Great, I don’t get to spend quality time with Adrien, but instead I get to hang out with Ms. Goody-Goody, and Ms. Man over here.” Then with a hair flip and an eye roll she was out of the room. 

Marinette turned to Juliette, “Am I the goody-goody or the man?” Juliette just let out a laugh, all of her anger suddenly dissipating, and frustratingly didn’t answer her. Instead, she dragged Marinette off to her room to pack and pick an outfit. 

By four o’clock, the three of them were on a van, not talking as they traveled to an unknown location to meet up with Adrien. Marinette was slightly excited that she got to see Adrien at all, but was still unhappy that she had to share the time with the stoic Kagami and the bitch. The only bright point of the ride was that Lila didn’t say anything either. 

She knew that one of the three of them would be going home, and she was hoping it would be Lila, but she had a sinking suspicion that her Ladybug luck wouldn’t carry her through that hope this evening. 

The van stopped and let them out at a beautiful park. There were a couple of picnic blankets set up and some fancy pastries and finger foods scattered around the area. There were also a couple of different sitting spots set up far enough away from the picnic area that a private conversation could be had, while still being in eyesight. While looking at the picnic, Marinette was reminded of the beautiful picnic that Plagg and Tikki had set up for her and Adrien after they completed their Task. The memory made her smile dreamily, which elicited a crude look from Lila as they sat down at this picnic. 

After a beat, Adrien walked up through the trees and smiled at the girls. “Welcome to my picnic!” He announced with too much enthusiasm. He sat down and began to dig in, trying very hard to make small talk with the three of them. Marinette tried very hard to make this less uncomfortable for Adrien, but with the two roses looming next to him on the picnic blanket, it was hard to keep the other two girls engaged for long. Thankfully, the looks that Adrien kept giving her made her smile and laugh and understand how grateful he was for her company. 

Finally, he turned to Lila, and asked to speak with her alone. She, of course, agreed and then it was just Kagami and Marinette sitting around the picnic blankets. 

They were silent for a couple of minutes, before Kagami turned to her, and regarded her as if she was at a business meeting and Marinette was just a document to be discussed. “Does he always look at you like that?” 

Marinette blanched, not sure of even how to answer that. “Like what?” 

“Like you’re having a conversation with your eyes.” 

Marinette blushed, slightly embarrassed that someone had noticed their looks. But before she could answer, Kagami spoke again. 

“I’ve seen it, you know,” She paused, studying a patch of grass next to her. “You have a lot of conversations like that. Your relationship with him is much deeper than anyone else’s in the house.” She said this as if it was a fact, not something to be debated. 

“I don’t know about that...” Marinette started but Kagami cut her off. 

“Please don’t lie to me,” She said stiffly. She paused once more before asking, “Do you love him?” 

Marinette paused, remembering what it was like to hear Lucie say those words the other night after the akuma. So instead of answering she asked, “Do you really want to know?” 

“I would not have asked if I didn’t want an answer.” She sounded so much older and wiser when she said it, that Marinette didn’t deny her the truth. 

“I do.” 

Kagami nodded and turned away towards where Lila and Adrien were sitting, indicating the end of their conversation.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien just wanted this whole week to be over. Nothing about it was good, especially sitting here with Lila just letting her aggressively flirt with him. If he actually had a choice in this matter, his convo with Lila would be done already. It was clear he wasn’t getting any of the genuine Lila he saw last week, and he just wanted to move on and talk to anyone else. 

Marinette was the essence of beauty sitting at that picnic, and he wondered if she also remembered a similar picnic on a rooftop where she told him she loved him for the first time. 

And then there was Kagami. Kagami was a very good friend who he didn’t want to say goodbye to tonight. He was tempted to get rid of Lila now and just keep Kagami around for a little longer, just for the companionship. But, he knew his Father would be very upset if Lila didn’t make it to the next round, especially if Marinette did. The best way to get him to accept Marinette’s presence was to keep his top choice Lucie around, as well as the “all too important” Lila. With them both going to hometowns, his Father would be less upset that Marinette was as well. 

Almost as if she could read his mind, Marinette locked eyes with him from across the park. He smiled at her and slowly stood, taking Lila with him. He walked her back to the blankets (with her stroking his arm the whole way), and detached himself to steal away Marinette. 

“Marinette, can I steal you for a second?” She gave him a dazzling smile that melted his insides before taking his arm and walking to a different spot in the clearing. This one was perched right underneath a tree decorated with fairy lights, that made the whole area seem more romantic in the sinking sun. 

“Hey,” she started, as a nervous smile creeped up on her face. 

“Hey,” he responded, his mind suddenly blank of anything intelligent he could have actually said in response. 

“I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve been able to talk,” She said, leaning slightly closer to him to where the whole of her right side was touching his left. He literally loved the way that she fit into him, the way the touch of her skin against his made the spot tingle and made it hard to focus on anything else happening in that moment. 

“I know,” he lamely responded, his brain trying very hard to come up with something intelligent to say. “But being away from you has made me realize something,” he blurted, and almost hit himself once the words were out. He wished he could take them back, as it almost seemed a little _too_ personal for the cameras to hear too. 

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him and he saw a slight smirk form on her lips, “Oh really? And what is that?” 

He didn’t want to respond, but he couldn’t leave her, or the cameras, without an answer. “Just that I don’t like it when I don’t get to see you. I miss you too much.” 

The blush that graced her cheeks made his cheesy line worth it. He leaned in close, hoping he could snag a kiss before the blush faded from her cheeks, but she met his eyes and whispered instead, “I discovered something too this week.” 

He pulled back slightly, so he could see her whole face. It was his turn to arch an eyebrow, but genuine curiosity filled his face rather than a knowing smirk. “And what was that?” he said, mimicking her tone from earlier. 

She let out a small laugh before becoming serious once more. “It happened when Lucie was telling us about the akuma attack, and how it felt when you bravely dove into the popcorn to save others, even though you couldn’t find your way back to her.” Adrien was slightly taken back by her words, especially considering she was the only one who knew what Adrien was _actually_ doing during the akuma attack. Before Adrien could say anything, she continued, “She was describing how hopeless she felt standing on the rooftop knowing you were out there being heroic but not with her, and it made me wonder what it would have been like if I was on that date instead of Lucie.” 

_It would have been easier to sneak away, for sure_. Adrien thought, but didn’t dare interrupt. He had a feeling something big was coming and he didn’t want to spoil it. 

“I realized that I don’t think I would have handled that situation like Lucie. I would have been a wreck, and probably would have ventured out into the chaos to find you, just to make sure you were okay. I realized that even if it meant putting myself in danger, I’d take that risk, just to keep you safe. Adrien,” she took a deep, shaky breath, the tears that had gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall down her face, “I love you.” Marinette paused a beat as one rebellious tear slipped down her cheek. Adrien instinctively reached out and wiped it away, though his hand lingered on her cheek. She leaned into his touch and met his gaze once more. “I know that you may not be there with me just yet, and I understand, you still have so many options here. I just wanted you to know, that’s all.” 

Adrien slid his fingers into her hair and pulled her into a kiss. It started out simple, but deepened the longer they held it. Adrien always knew that Marinette would be there for him, no matter what form of herself she was, but it still felt good to hear her say it in front of the cameras. 

He yearned to say it back. To show her that he cared as much and that he needed her even more than she probably needed him. That was obvious during that akuma fight when he almost broke Montparnasse Tower. Ladybug’s words were the only things that allowed him to sleep that night when the nightmares of the building crumbling kept him awake. But, it wasn’t time yet. The producers, as well as his Father, would skin him alive if he said it to one girl with other girls still options on the show. Especially with meeting the parents next week. 

When they broke apart, the smile on Adrien’s face wasn’t faked, not like when he had to kiss the other girls. “Thank you for telling me, that really means a lot.” He stood up, abruptly, a crazy idea popping into his head. “Wait here, will you?” She nodded though her eyes gave away her confusion. He turned on his heel and tried not to run back to the picnic spot. Lila had sat up straighter and began fiddling with her hair when he got nearer, and Kagami just watched him, studying his every movement. 

“Excuse me ladies,” he said gently as he picked up one of the roses from the plate that had been strategically placed in the middle of the blankets. He then turned back towards Marinette, the rose hidden behind him as he walked back to join his princess. 

She still looked slightly confused, but when he sat down next to her once more and pulled out the rose, her eyes got wide and her smile grew. He knew that she walked into their three-on-one knowing that she’d get a rose, but she did a wonderful job of acting surprised every time he gave her one. 

“Marinette, will you accept this rose?” 

She took the rose as he held it out for her, and leaned in for another kiss. This one was shorter, but when they broke apart, she whispered, “Always.” 

He helped her up, and looped his arm around her waist. They began walking in the opposite direction of the other girls, but Marinette either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She just seemed content to be in his arms. He walked her all the way to the road, where a black SUV was waiting to take her back to the mansion. As he reached to open the door for her, she turned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon,” she whispered and he grinned as he kissed her cheek back. She climbed into the car and he slowly closed the door, the smile never leaving his face.

\----------------------------------------------------

The walk back to the picnic was longer and sadder without Marinette by his side, as if her presence made everything in his life brighter and more colorful. He walked back up to the two gathered girls, and noticed that Lila was hopefully watching where Marinette had disappeared to. 

“Where did she go?” Lila asked, the excitement in her voice poorly hidden. He felt himself sigh internally. Lila’s nice act lasted less than a week, and he was saddened that she had to remain in the competition. Before Adrien could respond, Lila noticed Adrien’s empty hands, and slumped slightly, letting out a grumpy “Oh.” 

Adrien ignored this, and turned his attention towards Kagami. “Kagami, can I steal you for a second?” She gave a curt nod, as usual, and followed him to the same spot where he took Lila. She sat on the bench stiffly, and right as Adrien opened his mouth to speak, Kagami had beat him to it. 

“I have something I need to say, and I need you to not talk, but to listen.” Adrien nodded, curious as to what she had to say. “I’ve been watching you. I’ve noticed how you interact with all of the girls, and there is one girl that you treat differently than all the rest.” 

Adrien didn’t know where she was going with this, but he didn’t dare to speak. 

“You...” she paused, as if trying to find the right words, or picking them carefully, “care for Marinette more than you do the others. I’ve noticed your wordless conversations, the way you naturally lean into her, the way your face lights up when you’re in the same room together.” Kagami paused, and Adrien was still processing what she had just said to notice. He never thought anyone would pick up on those things, especially one of the other contestants. “I value our friendship, Adrien, and I would like for it to continue,” Kagami continued, and Adrien forced himself to fully focus on her words. “but I cannot allow someone who is clearly in love with another to meet my Mother.” 

She said it so matter of factly, that it took Adrien a moment to realize that she was breaking up with him. 

“If you could please show me to my car, I’ll have my things picked up and I’ll be on my way.” 

Adrien knew better than to ignore a command like that and quickly stood and walked her towards the road where another SUV was waiting. He had expected Kagami to get right into the car, but instead she lingered. “Just make sure you keep her happy, she’s a genuinely good person who deserves that much.” Kagami turned and put her hand on the door handle and opened the door, wide enough for Adrien to see all the way through it. “If you ever need another fencing partner, my foil could use someone new to give an ass whooping to.” Adrien laughed at that as Kagami climbed into the car and Adrien watched her disappear into the night.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Soooooo_ sorry friends for the long wait! I was having trouble finding the inspiration to write, BUT I got my act together AND mapped out the rest of the story, so we have almost reached the end of this journey together! Thank you all so much for the support and the constant kudos and comments. You guys are the best and this story wouldn't continue to exist without you! 
> 
> Aaaanyway, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

The van ride back to the mansion was blissful. Marinette was giddy about how well her conversation went with Adrien. The whole night was wonderful, and the icing on the cake was that she didn’t even have to pretend to like Lila since the two never spent any alone time together. 

As she walked in the front doors, Marinette heard a scream and was tackled with a hug. “Thank God you came back! I don’t know if I could have handled it if you went home and left me with Lila alone!” the voice of Juliette moaned as she squeezed the life out of Marinette. When Juliette finally let her go, she was greeted by Lucie as well, who hugged her enthusiastically. 

The two girls dragged Marinette to the couch and asked her for every detail about the three-on-one date. She told them all of the awkward details, all except her declaration of love for the cameras. _That_ she wanted to keep to herself a little longer. Right as she finished explaining that she didn’t know who had gone home because she left before she could find out, the door opened. All three girls held their breath, only to let out a small sigh as Lila entered the room. 

Lila paused on her way towards the stairs and gave a curt, “What are you three staring at?” before disappearing out of sight. 

Juliette just rolled her eyes and carried on like there had been no interruption. “Oh well, we can’t have everything in life.” Marinette and Lucie both began laughing as Lila huffily reentered the room. 

She sat down on the couch and crossed her arms, quickly followed by Victoria, who was armed with her signature clipboard. 

“Great, now that we’re all here, we can discuss what next week is going to look like.” She conferred with her clipboard for a moment before continuing. “As you know, the next stop on your journey is Hometowns, where Adrien gets to meet your parents. The dates have already been planned for you as well as the locations, which will be in your town but not your house, for safety reasons, except for Miss Dupain-Cheng.” The other three girls turned and looked at Marinette, but she just shrugged, not understanding what made her different from the rest. 

Victoria moved on as if nothing had happened. “That means you will get to see your family for the first time as well. You are not permitted to stay the night with them. You will wake up the morning of your Hometown in your assigned hotel room in your hometown, and you will come back the night of to that same room, are we clear?” 

Every girl gave a mumbled, “Yes ma’am,” before Lila spoke up, “What about my parents? Are we going to Italy and for how long?” Her voice was strained and she didn’t seem very excited about seeing her parents again. 

“They are already notified of what is to come and they will be arriving in France a day prior to your Hometown and then leaving the day after shooting.” Victoria said, matter-of-factly. Victoria finally looked up from her clipboard and made eye contact with all of the girls, “Any other questions?” Marinette had a couple of questions, but she didn’t want to ask in front of the other girls and embarrass herself. Victoria gave a satisfied smile and seemed to relax a little. “Anyway, I wanted to congratulate you four for making it this far. We appreciate your dedication to Adrien and to the journey and I hope you’ll be patient with us, as these next few weeks are very critical to the success of the show and everything that happens from here on out will be closely monitored.” With that, she turned on her heel and left the room. 

The girls sat quietly for a moment, allowing what was just said to soak in. Lila was the first one out of the room, and the other girls soon followed, wishing the others goodnight. 

Marinette laid in her bed, with Tikki on the pillow next to her, thinking about Victoria’s final words. “Do you think they’ll notice when you disappear as Ladybug?” Tikki asked, voicing the question Marinette was pondering. 

“Honest, Tik, I don’t know. I’m just going to have to be more careful, I guess, and hope that no one finds out.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The next three days felt longer than normal. Without the cocktail party to stress about Friday and Saturday, the days stretched on and on. By Sunday afternoon Marinette was itching to transform. Right before she could escape, she was cornered by a random producer who wanted to officially inform her that her Hometown date would occur Monday, since she was the only local girl and Lila’s parents couldn’t fly in until Thursday.

Realizing that she only had mere hours before truly seeing her parents again made her want to jump and scream with excitement. She had miss them so much, even though they were minutes away from where she was now, it was still exciting to think that soon she would see them with Adrien in tow. 

The thought of Adrien meeting her parents gave her butterflies. She knew that she was in it for the long haul, but it was still weird to think that she’d been in a relationship with Adrien long enough for parents to be involved. 

As she rounded the corner to her room and walked inside, a horrible thought struck. “What if they don’t like him?” Marinette asked the room at large. 

Thankfully, only Tikki answered, “What if who doesn’t like whom?” 

Marinette met Tikki’s eyes, and she must have looked truly worried, because Tikki immediately flew next to Marinette, offering up one of her precious cookies. “What if my parents don’t like Adrien? Like how are they to know that he’s my soulmate who I’ve been in love with for seven years? What do I do if they decide he’s not good enough for me or if there’s something completely wrong with him?” Marinette gasped as an even worse thought came, “What if they decide that _I’m_ not good enough for _him_ and they adopt Adrien and disown me and then I’ll be homeless and living on the street and I’ll have to beg for money and sleep in a cardboard box and my only friends will be the mice that live in my alley and the toothless hobo they call Smelly Todd.” 

Tikki grabbed Marinette’s cheek and forced her to make eye contact with the god. Her blue eyes bore into Marinette’s and she felt her breathing relax and her heart rate go down. “Be sensible, Marinette. None of that is going to happen. Your parents are going to love Adrien because they will see how much of a gentleman he is and how much he loves you. Once they see how much you two care for each other, there won’t be any objections.” 

Marinette felt herself nodding, Tikki’s words flowing over her and calming her down significantly. “You’re right Tikki,” she sighed, slumping down onto her bed. “Thank you for not letting me become a hobo and being friends with Smelly Todd.” 

Tikki gently patted her cheek, “I’ll always be here for you, Marinette.” 

Almost an hour later, Marinette was still thinking about all of the possible ways this meeting tomorrow could go, just without the hyperventilating, when she transformed and disappeared out of her window.

\----------------------------------------------------

Chat had actually beat Ladybug to their meeting spot, and, as if it was some unspoken agreement, as soon as Ladybug’s feet hit the roof, both of them dropped their transformations.

Plagg just glanced between the two of them as Tikki flew to join him. “Why does this feel like an ambush?” 

Marinette gave a nervous giggle and moved to sit next to Adrien, who suddenly looked very stressed and worried. She gently grabbed his hand and he quickly entwined their fingers together as he took a deep breath and addressed the kwamis. “We need to talk about our new powers.” 

Tikki let out a small sigh, “We figured you would eventually.” 

“We just need a better understanding of how they work, so we know how to better control them.” Marinette said calmly, giving Adrien’s hand a small squeeze. 

Plagg let out an exasperated sigh that caused Adrien to roll his eyes. “What do you want to know? They’re new and better and that’s about it.” 

Adrien opened his mouth to say something, but Marinette beat him to it. “Please, Plagg, we need more information. We’re trying to figure out what happened during the last akuma attack, and how we can try not to destroy all of Paris while we’re saving it.” 

“The thing is, Marinette, we can’t give out too much information. You have to figure out the new powers for yourself.” Tikki floated over and gently put her hands on Adrien’s other hand. She was looking at him so sadly that it made Marinette’s heart hurt. 

Adrien stared down at his lap and whispered, “I just need to understand how I cataclysmed Montparnasse Tower.” Tikki and Plagg shared a look, and Marinette had a feeling that a mini argument was going on between them. After a few beats, Tikki huffed a “Fine!” and Plagg sped over towards Adrien, forcing him to met his eyes. 

“Hey, kid, I know how much this has bothered you this week. But you need to know it wasn’t fully your fault. These enhanced powers allow for your cataclysm to last longer than it did before, which you couldn’t have known.” 

“You mean like more than five minutes?” Marinette asked, genuinely curious. 

“Kind of. It’s hard to explain without demonstrating it, but you can use your power more than one time. You have more control over it.” 

Adrien’s jaw dropped, and he stuttered, “M-more than one time?” 

“Yeah, aren’t you listening?” Plagg asked, giving Adrien a teasing look before continuing. “Let’s look at what happened with Revengapop.” Adrien physically flinched at the name, but didn’t stop Plagg. “You summoned the cataclysm to destroy his popcorn-making machine. But, as you landed from your jump, you touched the roof with your right hand to balance yourself. Your cataclysm was still active when you touched the roof, therefore it cataclysmed the building. You could have done more damage, except once you realized what you had done, you willed the cataclysm away.” 

As he was talking, Marinette replayed the event in her mind. She could see Chat jumping towards the machine, and then landing in a lunge with his right hand on the roof. _That_ was when the building started to collapse, and she went into overdrive and grabbed the akuma while using her Miraculous fix. 

“So, you’re saying that he can cataclysm more than one thing with a charge? Like it’ll just keep going until he’s done using it, and then he can just turn it off?” 

“You got it, LB.” 

“But wait, how does the countdown work, if he can cataclysm a number of things?” 

“The timer is the tricky part,” Tikki cut in. “Your timers last longer than 5 minutes now, but it will only gradually increase over time. So now you may have 5 and a half minutes before you detransform, but it’ll eventually become longer and more permanent as you continue to get older.” 

“But when do the timers start counting down?” Adrien asked, his gaze dancing between the two kwamis. 

“Yours, kid, starts once you turn the cataclysm off.” 

“And yours, starts once you are done using your Lucky Charm, usually by throwing it for the Miraculous cure.” 

“So, you’re saying I can fight an entire fight with a cataclysm charge on my right hand and my ‘kind of, sort of’ five-minute timer won’t start until I turn off the power?” Marinette noticed that the light was slowly coming back in Adrien’s eyes, and he actually seemed to be getting excited about all of this rather than worried like he was before. 

“Yes, but that’s honestly all we can tell you. The rest of it you have to discover for yourself.” Tikki was calm, but it was clear that she was done talking about this topic with the Miraculous holders. Adrien, however, was not. 

“So, the bigger jumps and connected thoughts and being able to walk around quieter are all part of the enhanced powers package too?” 

Plagg nodded excitedly. “My favorite is the enhanced strength. With it, you can lift the largest piece of camembert ever made!” Marinette laughed at the thought of Chat just casually holding a piece of camembert the size of a car. 

As Adrien and Plagg continued to get excited about all of the new powers he has, Marinette’s mind went into overdrive. There was something that Tikki had said after the Task when they learned about all of this that she needed to ask about. 

“I have a question.” She announced, which shut the boys up pretty quickly. “Tikki, when you told us about our new powers, you said more danger could come with it, and that we needed to be more careful. What _exactly_ did you mean by that.” 

Tikki paused, as if contemplating the best way to phrase her next statement. “Do you remember the akuma Timebreaker?” Marinette nodded, thinking of that akuma from long ago. That was an akuma she would never forget, as she ended up working with another Ladybug as well as a Chat Noir, one Ladybug from the present and one from the past (of like 5 minutes, but still). “Do you remember how Chat got hit by Timebreaker and he dissolved?” Both Marinette and Adrien nodded grimly. They didn’t like to talk about all of the times something horrible had happened to Chat during a battle, but that particular instance was one of the worst. “If that were to happen now, your enhanced powers as Ladybug would go away until you saved Chat.” 

Marinette tried to comprehend what that would look like. Her timer would go back to 5 minutes exactly, her lucky charm wouldn’t be as strong, and she would be without her partner, which is always her greatest weakness. The idea upset her more than she thought it would. 

Tikki let her words hang there before speaking again. “That’s why I warned you to be careful. If something happens to either of you, even if it’s something that the Miraculous cure can fix, the other will suffer greatly.” 

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a look. She could tell that he still thought she was the reckless one out of the two of them, but arguing about it won’t fix the problem. “I promise to be more aware of my actions, if you are.” 

Adrien smiled that beautiful smile of his and answered, “We both know I’m not the reckless one, but I promise the same. I’ll be safer if you’ll be safer.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes, but leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I meant what I said at the date last week. I only want you to be safe.” 

Adrien turned his head and kissed her forehead, “I just want us to be safe together.” 

Marinette closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying this moment with Adrien. Of course, that’s when Plagg decided to clear his throat causing Marinette to open her eyes. 

“I hate to break up this moment, but I want cheese before we go patrol.” Adrien rolled his eyes and pulled away from Marinette gently, digging in his pocket for some cheese. He tossed it to his kwami as Marinette stood up, looking for cookies for Tikki. 

“Don’t worry, Marinette, I don’t need cookies to transform.” Tikki said with a laugh as Adrien whipped towards her appalled. “Plagg’s just needy.” Marinette laughed as Adrien murmured, “I knew that,” before calling his transformation. Marinette watched as he was bathed in green light and then suddenly, Chat stood before her. She let out a small sigh, which caught Chat’s attention. 

“What was that, princess?” He asked with a smirk. 

“Oh nothing. I just don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching you do that.” Chat let out a small growl-like sound before stepping forward and kissing Marinette aggressively. She got lost in the kiss as his claws ran through her hair and she was _finally_ able to appreciate how skin tight his leather suit really was. Before either of them took it too far though, they broke apart and Chat rested his forehead on Marinette’s. 

“We have a city to patrol,” he said rather breathlessly, the sound of which sent shivers down her spine. 

“You’re right,” she sighed, wishing for once that she didn’t have to be responsible for the entire city of Paris. “Plus, we’ll have plenty of time for that kind of stuff in the fantasy suite.” She watched Chat gulp and grow slightly pale under the mask, which caused her to laugh. It was nice to know she could still get to him. 

She quickly called her transformation, and the two of them flew off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny bit of Marichat at the end to tithe you all over until I can post again! <3


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I am so SO sorry for the long wait! Life has been crazy (my roommate got married, I moved 10 hours away and left my awesome job to do so. You know, minor things) and I have had very few opportunities to write. But I PROMISE that this LONG chapter is worth the wait! Plus, it kind of wrote itself, since I've been building up to this for a while. ;-) I hope you enjoy (and eventually forgive me for making you wait so long!)

The next morning, everyone left. They were going to spend the week in their hometowns, or a town close to Italy in Lila’s case, in a hotel and not talking to anyone they knew, until the rose ceremony at the end of the week. It sounded dreadful, but it was essentially what Marinette had been doing since filming started. Marinette missed the other girls a lot. The mansion was a lot creepier when she was in it by herself. 

Thankfully she was only there for a couple of hours Monday morning. As soon as she was awake, a producer found her and informed her of everything that would happen on the date. Marinette had to be ready to leave by mid-morning and she had a couple of lines that were scripted for her to say to explain what would be happening, but otherwise the flow of the date and how everything went today depended on her parents. 

Once she was ready, she was quickly rushed out of the mansion and driven to the park right next to her parent’s house. There was a little picnic spot set up for the two of them, with only drinks available, and Marinette was instructed to stand by a specific entrance and wait for Adrien to arrive. She imagined that this is how Adrien felt when he showed up to his dates with the girls, everything set-up and anxiously awaiting the arrival of them. 

After a couple of minutes, a black SUV pulled up and out walked Adrien. He was wearing jeans and dark grey polo shirt, which made Marinette drool a little spying those arm muscles. 

She got so excited to see him, that even before he had reached the grass of the park, Marinette ran towards him, a huge smile on her face. He grabbed her mid-run and swung her around. She instinctively put her arms around his neck and let out a giggle. When they stopped spinning, Adrien’s lips found Marinette’s and she sighed, remembering how wonderful it was to have Adrien all to herself for the day. 

“Hey, Beautiful,” Adrien said once they broke apart. 

“Hey.” Marinette breathed back. She would have been content to stand there and stare, but she knew that she had a script to follow. She intertwined their fingers and started pulling him across the park towards the set-up in the grass. “So, welcome to my city,” she joked, nudging Adrien’s shoulder as they walked. 

He let out a laugh that was brighter than sunshine, “Yes, well I have to say it’s truly beautiful.” 

They sat and picked out drinks from the basket, taking instructions from the producers on where to sit, which way to face and whatnot for the cameras. When they were settled, someone yelled “Action!” and Marinette continued with her more scripted lines. 

She pointed out some various things that the producers considered very _Paris_ as they sat and sipped their drinks, making small talk, which was very easy for the two of them, enough for the producers to be happy. 

“Now I know you’ve _never_ been to Paris before,” Marinette started, after getting the cue from a producer with a mischievous smile, to which Adrien rolled his eyes. “But for some reason, I don’t feel that a tour around Paris would be beneficial to you.” 

“I don’t know,” Adrien said with a soft smile. “It would be fun to see where your favorite spots in the city are and compare notes.” 

Marinette’s heart leaped at the idea, even though she already knew where all of his favorite spots were, at least as Chat. Sadly, that wasn’t in the script so she just gave him a smile and moved on. 

“As much fun as that would be, I have something even better planned.” Adrien perked up at that, and if he had his Chat ears they would have stood straight up. “Now, I don’t know if you knew this or not, but this park is actually right across the street from the best bakery in Paris.” 

Adrien’s smile grew, clearly guessing where she was going with this. “Oh, is it now?” 

“Yes,” Marinette said, not letting go of the charade. She stood and offered her hand to him to join her. He took it, and didn’t let go. Instead, he let her lead him out of the park towards her parent’s bakery. “It’s called the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and I’ve scheduled a time with the owners for a private baking lesson.” 

Adrien gave her hand a squeeze before responding, “That sounds wonderful Marinette.” He paused, and Marinette wondered how much he was playing towards the cameras right now. “But wait, why does the name Dupain-Cheng ring a bell?” 

Marinette smiled as they reached the door. The producers had asked her parents to close down for the day, which was stressful for them she knew, but she also knew that they would do anything for her, no matter the cost. 

“Why Adrien, that’s my last name, silly.” Marinette’s voice almost sounded fake even to herself, but she knew the audience would love this conversation, so she continued to play. Plus, her mind was completely distracted thinking about the fact that she was about to see her parents again, for the first time in too long. 

As they reached the door, Adrien turned towards her and said, with a slightly panicked look on his face that must have been for the cameras, “Wait, are you telling me I’m about to meet your parents?” 

“Surprise!” Was all Marinette said as she opened the door to the bakery. She could barely contain a squeal as she saw her Maman and Papa standing behind the counter waiting for the two of them to enter. 

She collided with them in the middle of the store. Sabine overtook Marinette in a hug that Tom shortly joined in on. After a little bit, they broke apart and Marinette had the opportunity to introduce Adrien. 

“Maman, Papa, this is Adrien Agreste.” Tom shook Adrien’s hand, but Sabine gave him a quick hug, and when she pulled away, Marinette noticed a slight blush on Adrien’s cheeks. “So, I heard you have a wonderful baking lesson prepared for us.” Marinette said once everyone had settled. 

Sabine stepped forward and grabbed Adrien’s hand. “We do. Adrien, have you ever baked bread before?”

\----------------------------------------------------

As the morning went on, Marinette learned that Adrien was not good at baking. She honestly didn’t think that she had ever laughed so hard in her life. Adrien made a mess out of the flour, and while he was kneading the bread dough, it attacked him and somehow the two of them ended up on the floor. Adrien surfaced unscathed, but he did have flour streaked across his face and a clump of dough in his hair. While what remained of Adrien’s bread loaf was baking, Marinette and her parents took turns telling Adrien funny baking stories that had happened to them throughout their years of owning the bakery and everyone was in good spirits by the time the bread came out of the oven. Adrien’s bread loaf was lumpy and sad looking, but still tasted delicious and Adrien seemed very proud of himself.

Too soon, Marinette and Adrien were being whisked away to give everyone time to set-up for the evening portion of the night in the apartment upstairs. Marinette and Adrien made their way back to their picnic spot in the park and sat to chat. 

“That was incredibly fun.” Marinette announced as they sat down. 

Adrien let out a laugh, “If you call utterly failing to bake some bread ‘fun,’ then sure.” 

“Oh, don’t beat yourself up too badly. When I first started baking I was terrible at it too. I always made a mess and ruined my parent’s creations, and even I had lost a few battles to some bread dough before.” Marinette said, reaching over to brush some flour off of Adrien’s shirt. The producers had cleaned him up as soon as the bread was in the oven, but flour in the bakery is like glitter in the craft world, it just never seems to fully go away. 

“How did you get better at all of it?” Adrien asked, and Marinette had a feeling that he was genuinely curious. 

“Practice. Lots of practice. I started baking around three years old, and by middle school I was an expert.” 

“Are you saying that your bread would taste better than mine?” Adrien asked, trying and failing to look appalled, which caused Marinette to laugh. 

“Well...” She started, which made Adrien laugh in return. 

“Hey now! My bread was good!” Adrien said in his defense, which brought the two of them to laughing once more. It was just so _easy_ to be around him. Everything was fun and relaxed and it made her wonder how the time he spent with the other girls went. If he was this comfortable around them, then did it mean that she was any different than them? She shook that thought from her head though as the sun started to sink lower in the sky. 

“Anyway,” Marinette started, leaning into Adrien’s shoulder. “Are you ready to go meet my parents again?” 

Adrien grabbed her hand and smiled, “With you by my side, always.” 

Hand in hand they walked back to the bakery, this time entering through the side door that led to the stairs that would lead to the apartment. Marinette couldn’t tell if Adrien was nervous or not, but he gave Marinette a confident smile as they walked through the front door. Her parents were waiting in the living room with a little surprise for her. 

“Alya?!” Marinette screamed as her best friend jumped off of the couch. 

“Marinette!” The two girls stood screaming in the living room and Marinette was vaguely aware of Adrien giving Sabine the flowers the producers had given him and a bottle of wine to Tom. As Marinette squeezed the ever-loving daylights out of Alya, she gave her a quick whispered summary of everything that had happened since her last letter, and reminded her not to mention the letters at all. 

“Don’t worry, girl, I’m a professional,” Alya said with a wink. 

“Yeah a professional journalist,” Marinette mumbled as they all went to sit down on the couches. “Adrien, you already know my parents, Tom and Sabine. But this crazy lady is my best friend Alya.” 

Alya gave Adrien a once over, and Marinette could see all of the gears turning in her head. “Okay,” was all she said before sitting back down next to Sabine. 

Marinette tried not to blanche at the lack of sarcastic remarks from her friend, but took it as a good sign and sat down to join the group. 

“So, Adrien,” Sabine started, excitedly grinning at the new addition to their group. “Tell us more about yourself. We try not to believe everything that’s written in the magazines, and we’d much rather hear it all from you.” 

Adrien was naturally charismatic. If he hadn’t already won over her parents during their baking lesson that morning, he had slid into their good graces through both his manners and his friendliness. His hand was comfortably resting on Marinette’s knee, which she only noticed because Alya was staring at it like it was a homing beacon for her attention. All five of them were engaged in a conversation about what it was like being on the Bachelor, when the oven went off. 

“Dinner is ready!” Tom announced as he clapped Adrien on the back good-naturedly. Marinette was having a hard time processing how well her Papa seemed to be taking Adrien and she was dying to ask him all of her questions. 

They ate dinner in an easy silence, the producers not wanting any conversations to be had while they were eating, as that was bad for filming. After they finished with dinner and all the plates were cleared away, they all sat back down at the table, and Tom started off asking questions. 

“So, Adrien, what do you plan to do with your future? You know after the Bachelor is done and everything.” 

Adrien gave him a smile, that only Marinette could tell was slightly forced, “Well, sir, my current track is to take over the business side of my Father’s company and continue modeling until I age out of it. Then, once my Father retires, I will take over the whole of the company and keep the brand of Gabriel thriving.” Marinette kept up her façade, but she knew that wasn’t what Adrien wanted to do, but rather what his Father had planned for him. 

“Does the idea of that make you happy, dear?” Sabine asked innocently. Marinette whipped her head towards her Maman, forgetting how in-tuned to people she always seemed to be. 

Adrien didn’t answer for a moment; clearly taken aback by a question he’s probably never been asked before. “Well, if I were to do it all by myself it would be a little overwhelming and boring. But, if I had the right partner, I could see myself being happy with that line of work.” Marinette had to compliment Adrien, as that was a very diplomatic response that even Gabriel couldn’t be upset about. 

“Right partner, huh?” Alya leaned forward, shooting a knowing smirk at Marinette. 

“You do know that Marinette designs, don’t you Adrien?” Tom spoke up, clearly understanding the underlying statement to Alya’s comment. 

Adrien peeked over at Marinette, who could feel a blush forming on her cheeks. “Yeah, I did actually. From what I’ve seen she’s very talented.” 

At that both her parents and Alya gaped. “You’ve seen her sketchbook?” Alya asked, her voice filled with shock. “Not even I’m allowed to see her sketchbook!” 

For the first time that night, Adrien looked uncomfortable. “Um, no. I’ve just seen a shirt she had designed. It was really well designed and made. I actually thought it was a Gabriel original.” 

Everyone around the table relaxed, but there was still an uneasy air around the table. Marinette was baffled and didn’t know what to say, when Sabine cleared her throat and addressed Adrien once more. “With that, Adrien, how about you and I go off for a little chat.” Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand (which he had held throughout the entire chat under the table) before responding with an “Of course,” and following Sabine out of the dining room. 

Tom then awkwardly looked around before jumping up and looking at Marinette, “Hey, why don’t we go chat too?” Marinette glanced at Alya, who gave her the shooing motion before following her Papa up the stairs into her bedroom. 

“What was all that about?” Marinette asked once the door was closed and they were alone. The camera crew would be on their way up, but they were allowed a few private moments before they began filming. 

Tom’s cheeks reddened. “Oh, I forgot my cue. Once your mom took Adrien, I was supposed to take you, but I forgot.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh Papa, I’ve missed you so much.” 

They shared a small hug before a banging was heard on the trapdoor. Once the camera crew was up the stairs and set up, Marinette and Tom sat around the chaise and she was finally able to ask the questions she had been dying to ask. 

“What do you think of him, Papa?” Marinette asked nervously. 

Tom didn’t answer immediately, which made Marinette even more anxious. Finally, he let out a sigh, “He’s wonderful, cupcake. He’s everything I could have ever hoped in a boyfriend for you, and you are clearly crazy about him.” 

“So, do you approve?” 

“Yes, my little bon bon, if you decide that this is the boy you want to marry, then I support you wholeheartedly.” 

Marinette let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t know she was holding. She knew that she wasn’t out of the woods yet, as her mother was a harder critic of boys than her father was, but having half of them on board with Adrien so early in the night was a relief. 

The conversation flowed and Marinette was able to answer all of his questions, mostly about the kind of dates that she had been on and whether the food was any good. Marinette gushed about Alice’s cooking and even told him about their failed baking attempt to make macaroons that ended with all of the girls eating the store-bought ones because they didn’t want to wait for their homemade ones to be finished. 

Too soon, the producers were telling Marinette that it was time to switch and that Sabine would be coming up here, and Tom would go talk with Adrien. She gave her Papa one last hug before sending him off to interrogate her future husband. 

Once Sabine was in the room, and they were able to have a moment “alone” without the cameras filming, they both sat down on the chaise and Sabine dove right in. 

“He’s a wonderful young man,” she started without any prompting from Marinette. “He has a good head on his shoulders and seems very interested in finding true love through this show.” 

Sabine paused, and Marinette could sense that there was a “but” coming. “What’s bothering you, Maman?” 

She let out a small sigh and gently reached over to cup Marinette’s cheek. “There are still three girls in this competition. What if he doesn’t pick you?” 

Marinette paused, trying not to let those little doubts that had been pestering her recently flood through her mind. She _knew_ she was Adrien’s end-game. She knew that he loved her more than he could ever pretend to love the others. They were two halves of a whole, they complimented each other in every way they could. They were Ladybug and Chat Noir for goodness sakes. But, how could she begin to explain that to her parents without giving away their identities. 

“If he doesn’t pick me at the end of all of this, I’ll be upset, sure, but I’ll get over it. I love the girls in this with me almost as much as I love Adrien. If he decides I’m not the one, it would hurt at first, but I’d find a way to be happy for the girl he does pick, as I would hope they would do for me.” 

Sabine stared at Marinette, and she felt as though her Maman was trying to read her mind through her eyes. “You really truly love this boy?” She asked, no trace of a smile to be seen. 

“Yes, Maman, I really truly do.” 

“Then I approve.” She said with a curt nod. “But if he breaks your heart, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop your father from going all Were-Dad on him.” 

Marinette involuntarily laughed, and knew she would have to explain that comment to the producers later. “If he does, at least Chat Noir will actually be able to help Ladybug in the fight.” Sabine joined in laughing and gave Marinette a tight hug. 

“I trust you, sweetie. Follow your heart, and we’ll support you no matter what happens.” 

Marinette could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she pulled away, but right at that moment, something loud crashed through the trapdoor. 

Everyone, including the crew people jumped as Alya strutted her way over to the chaise, “All right, girl, it’s my turn.” Sabine let out another laugh, and stood up to allow Alya her spot on the chaise, but Alya shook her head. “I’ve got a better spot.” 

Before Marinette could realize what was happening, she was being dragged away from the cameras and through another trapdoor, this one leading to her balcony. She purposefully didn’t mention it to the producers, just because she knew that it would be a hassle to get even one cameraman up here, much less a whole crew. 

“Quick, before they follow us with a camera, you’ve got to spill.” 

“Spill what?” Marinette asked, completely confused. 

“Girl, don’t play dumb with me. It didn’t set in until it was mentioned that you had possibly shown your sketchbook to Adrien. You really are head over heels for this guy, aren’t you?” 

Marinette was still in shock but managed to give a nod. 

“Good God girl, did I not tell you the most important part of the Bachelor? The girls who fall in love first are the ones who get kicked off first. You’re going to scare the poor boy when he’s not at that level with you, it’s going to freak him out and then you’ll be sitting here on your chaise crying your eyes out over a mediocre Disney movie and a tub of ice cream.” 

“Woah, Alya, slow down.” Marinette grabbed her friend’s hands to stop her from continuing. “Look, I know you’re worried about me, but I promise that it’s all going to be okay. Even if he doesn’t pick me, I trust Adrien to make the right choice.” Marinette glanced around, even peering through the trapdoor to make sure no cameras were listening in. Just in case, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Listen, no one can know this but Adrien and I are pretty much on the same page. I really think he’s going to choose me at the end of this.” 

Alya, far from being shocked and excited, as Marinette had expected, instead gave a loud snort. “Oh please, girl, that’s obvious just watching the two of you interact. He cares for you, _a lot_ , but of course he would be stupid not to.” Alya took a deep breath before continuing. “Just promise me that you won’t get your hopes up, and that if he does break your heart I can beat him up first?” 

Marinette scanned Alya’s eyes for any sign that she was joking. For once her friend’s hazel eyes were clear and sharp as diamonds. “Will saying yes get you to be nice to him during your talk?” 

Alya’s face split with a smile that was borderline evil. “Not a chance.” 

Marinette sighed, “What am I going to do with you?” 

“Love me, as always,” Alya replied with a flip of her hair before she disappeared off of the balcony, leaving Marinette alone.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But, the producers had a schedule to keep to and Adrien would be flying out to another city to meet another family (leaving Ladybug in charge of watching Paris) later that night. They had gathered in the living room, none of them really wanting to start the goodbye. Finally, Alya stood up and walked over to Adrien and Marinette, her hands resting comfortably on her hips in a menacing way.

“It was very nice to meet you Adrien, but if you break my girl I’m going to break your pretty model face.” 

Tom and Sabine let out a laugh, and Adrien joined in, though his was a little forced. Her parents stood up and joined in on saying their formal goodbyes, giving everyone hugs and wishing Adrien a safe week of traveling. 

“It has been wonderful to meet you, son.” Tom said after giving Adrien a bone-crushing hug. 

“Hopefully we’ll get to see you again,” Sabine said, giving Adrien a gentle kiss on the cheek. 

By the time to two of them walked out to chat in the park next door, Adrien’s blush had faded, but he still seemed slightly dazed from the whole encounter. 

“Well that was fun,” Marinette said once they were seated, the film crew and their bright lights listening intently. 

“Marinette, they were wonderful.” Adrien said, turning to face Marinette fully. “Thank you so much for welcoming me into your home. Your parents were a blessing. It’s been so long since I’ve had a mom kiss me, I... I forgot what it felt like.” Marinette was so stunned she forgot to speak. Thankfully, Adrien continued, “I can see where you get your level-headedness from, and that your adorable awkwardness comes from your dad. They were fun, friendly people, and considering Alya was the only one who truly gave me a hard time, I’d say it was a successful evening.” 

Marinette sighed and leaned her forehead onto his. “Adrien, I’m really glad you had a wonderful night and that my parents didn’t embarrass me too much.” 

Adrien’s hand moved to cup her cheek, “Marinette, even if they did embarrass you, there’s not much in this world that could change my opinion of you.” He closed the distance between them and their lips met, but only for a moment. 

He pulled away just enough that they weren’t touching, but Marinette could still feel his breath on her lips. “This is going to be the longest week.” Adrien whispered, and Marinette was sure that the cameras wouldn’t be hearing this conversation. 

“I’ll be here when it’s all said and done,” Marinette whispered back. 

“I know, and I’m forever grateful for that,” Adrien leaned in once more, this time the kiss stretched a little longer, but they parted eventually, as they always do. 

“Thanks for a wonderful evening, Miss Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien said as he stood, offering Marinette his hand to stand with him. 

“Always a pleasure, Mr. Agreste.” 

She gave him one more hug goodbye, before he turned and walked towards his designated black SUV that would take him away to the arms of another girl. Marinette tried not to let that bother her too much, as she walked to her SUV and prepared herself for a lonely week at the mansion.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was so ready for this week to be over. After his amazing first hometown with Marinette, he felt let-down by the other two he had completed. Juliette’s family was nice enough, but it was clear that they were trying to show off how much money they had and it was also clear that Juliette was uncomfortable about the whole thing. Lucie’s family was great. They were sweet and well-mannered, but it almost felt like a job interview rather than a casual, meeting the future-husband, which put Adrien off a little. Adrien felt like they were deciding if he, and by extension his Father, were good enough for their two fashion companies to be merged. It didn’t help that Lucie’s American Aunt, the creator of said large fashion company, was there to look at Adrien through a microscope as well.

Thankfully, only Lila’s hometown stood in the way of him and freedom from overbearing parents. These parents all seemed to ask the same questions, and Adrien went through very similar questions with each, including asking the dad for permission to marry his daughter, which was a little old school, but something very important to him. He truthfully only cared about one specific dad’s opinion, but if he had asked Tom and no other dad’s he would have gotten chewed out by both the producers and his father, which is something he wanted to avoid. 

That being said, Juliette’s hometown was still the worst so far, especially knowing that he was going to have to send her home this week. He tried to be vague when answering questions from her family, especially about his feelings, and he made sure he only kissed her on the cheek as he was leaving, so he wouldn’t be leading her on more than he had to. 

Overall, he was ready for this week to be over. 

Lila’s afternoon portion was boring and cringe-worthy. She was too stiff and didn’t seem interested in the street fair they were supposed to be enjoying. He knew they weren’t actually in her hometown, which was totally his fault (he had told the producers he wouldn’t leave France, which to them meant he would travel to the closest city to Italy they could find, aka Monaco, and he wouldn’t be allowed to complain), but she still could have pretended to be interested. 

Now, as he was walking up the front steps towards the house where he would finally be meeting Lila’s parents, he was just ready for the whole evening to be over and he could stop pretending that he like Lila in any sort of way. Thank goodness she was going home next week. 

Lila opened the door ahead of him and they made their way to the living room. There he could see two people who had to be Lila’s parents and another, younger looking girl waiting for them. 

“Daddy! Mom!” Lila announced, and they both rose to greet her. They each gave her a quick hug and she turned and hugged the other girl as well before turning towards Adrien. “Mom, Daddy, this is Adrien Agreste.” The way she said his name, like she was emphasizing every syllable, made his skin crawl. 

He shook hands with her dad, who was middle-aged and was dressed as though he grew up wealthy, as he said, “It’s nice to finally meet you, son, you can call me Mr. Rossi.” Adrien forced himself to smile. 

“And you can call me Mrs. Rossi,” the woman next to him announced. 

Adrien moved on to Lila’s mom, who looked like a slightly older version of the girl herself. He handed her the flowers, and she leaned in and gave him the standard French cheek kisses as a welcome. 

Lila grabbed Adrien by the elbow and dragged him to the last person in the room, “And Adrien, this is my friend, Adriana.” The girl, who was of medium height with long dark brown hair and a pretty face waved. 

They awkwardly sat down in the sitting area, Lila seated with her mom on one side and Adrien on the other, and Adrien waited for the standard questioning to start. Everyone, however, seemed content to sitting in silence, so Adrien cleared his throat and asked the first question. “So, Mr. and Mrs. Rossi, I just wanted to say that you have a lovely daughter here. What exactly is it that you two do for a living?” 

Mr. Rossi broke out into a long conversation about what he did for Italy and all these things he had accomplished, but Adrien had a hard time listening. Lila and her mother were whispering about something, and for once, Lila was actually keeping her voice down so Adrien couldn’t tell what they were talking about. Thankfully, soon after Mr. Rossi had finished describing his occupation in detail, a maid came out and called them to dinner. 

That’s another he really liked about Marinette’s house. Tom had made dinner for the five of them, not some wait staff, like it was at every other hometown he had gone to. 

As they were walking to the table, Lila’s mother had Lila’s arm in a vice grip and walked over towards where all of the cameramen and producers were. Lila was pointing something out to her mom, where another hushed conversation happened before they joined the rest of their group at the table. 

“What was all that about?” Adrien asked, curiosity getting the better of him. 

Lila almost looked taken aback by the question, but quickly recovered by rolling her eyes and whispering, “My mother wanted to make sure she looked young and pretty enough on the cameras before we moved to a new setting with new lighting.” Adrien didn’t believe her, but shrugged it off anyway. 

Dinner was bland and boring, and considering they weren’t allowed to talk about anything interesting thanks to the producers, it was awkward. 

When their plates had been cleared and they were allowed to have conversation again, Lila’s parents asked the typical questions, about him being the Bachelor, his future plans, how absolutely lovely their daughter was, etc. Adrien was just praying that they were about to move on to the individual conversations when something unexpected happened. 

“So, Lila has told us that you are absolutely amazing in bed.” Mrs. Rossi said as almost an off-hand comment. Adrien almost spit out his wine. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Adrien looked to Lila for an answer, but her face was beet red and she wasn’t meeting Adrien’s eyes. 

“Oh, are we not supposed to talk about that on camera? From what I’ve heard you’re giving her some good exercise every other night.” 

Adrien felt his cheeks get red, but he couldn’t stop staring at Lila. She was now glaring daggers at her mother, which could only mean that there was something Adrien was missing. 

“Lila, what is she talking about?” 

It was like Lila hadn’t even heard him, she just continued to stare aggressively at her mother. 

Finally, something seemed to click and Mrs. Rossi’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh no. That was with the other boy, wasn’t it?” 

Lila stood up and left the room. 

Adrien just stared at the place where she had been sitting, at a complete loss for words. 

“What other boy, dear?” Mr. Rossi asked, which was the first helpful thing he had done all night. 

“Oh, Lila had been telling me about this boy, Mark, that she had been seeing while at the mansion. She said it was pretty serious, I just couldn’t remember if it was Adrien or Mark who was really good in bed.” 

Slowly, the pieces clicked together. 

“You mean, Mark the producer?” Adrien asked, finally finding his voice. 

Mrs. Rossi absently turned towards him and waved away his question, “Yes, that one.” 

Adrien slowly turned towards the group of producers that was gathered in the dining room and quickly found Mark in the crowd. His face was also beet red and his fellow producers were staring at him appalled. Clearly, they didn’t know anything about this either. 

Adrien stood from his chair, and asked louder than he had planned to, “Which way did she go?” 

One of the female producers waved for him to follow her and together they raced down the side hallway, a camera crew on their heels. 

Their group found her sitting on the back deck, a new glass of red wine in her hand, staring out at the view. Adrien approached her slowly, not knowing what kind of mood she would be in. 

“How long?” He asked once he was close enough to see her face. She hadn’t been crying, she just looked slightly annoyed. 

“Adrien—” 

“No. No more bullshit. Give me a straight answer. How long?” Adrien allowed some of his anger to show through, and Lila stepped back away from him at his aggressive tone. 

“Since the second week.” Lila almost sounded bored, which only infuriated Adrien more. 

He quickly did the math in his head. “Six weeks? You’ve been sleeping with a man while dating me for six weeks?!” 

Lila at least had the decency to look ashamed now. 

“All those times the girls mentioned seeing you out and about late at night, and how you were always really tired in the mornings, that was all because of Mark?” 

Lila just nodded. 

“Wait, that night you were crying during the cocktail party after the voice recording analysis came through, the first time that I truly saw the real you, why were you actually crying?” 

There was a small pause before Lila said, this time her voice slightly cracking, “Mark was there when you and Marinette confronted me and heard me beg you to keep me. He broke up with me that night because he thought that you were starting to mean more to me than he was.” 

“But that didn’t last, did it?” Adrien asked, crossing his arms over his chest to stop them from shaking. It was taking everything inside of him to not transform into Chat Noir and beat the shit out of this girl. 

“No,” Lila said, standing up a little straighter. “I love him and he loves me. You could never measure up to him and you never even deserved someone like me!” She made to storm off, but Adrien caught her wrist and turned him back towards him. 

“You do not get to go around making my life difficult and torturing the other girls, who are actually kind and decent human beings I might add, and then get to walk away from me. I’ve kept you here solely because I held out hope that deep inside you might be a good person, especially after seeing the real Lila that night. Instead, this entire time you’ve been actively cheating on me and lying to my face about your feelings for me!” Adrien let go of Lila’s hand before he accidentally hurt her. 

He let her walk away, and just kind of turned towards the camera crew and whispered, his anger slowly deflating, “What do I do now?” 

Adrien was given a bottle of water and guided to a chair. The female producer who led him to Lila told him that Chris would be arriving shortly and he would explain everything. It gave Adrien enough time to process through his feelings. 

He wasn’t specifically mad at Lila, he hated her and this gave him a _very_ good reason to send her home, one his Father couldn’t argue with. He wasn’t even mad at Mark, because if the poor man decided he wants to put up with Lila, then he can have her. No, his anger was coming from the fact that he had to act upset and heartbroken about this. He couldn’t rejoice or even celebrate that Lila was finally going home, because then he would have to explain that his Father had a hand in picking who wins this competition. 

Plus, despite all of the chances he had given Lila, all of the hope he had held out for her, she had turned out to just be a horrible person. It frustrated him that he had even tried to defend Lila to Marinette. Beautiful, wonderful Marinette who had tried telling Adrien that he was wrong about Lila since the beginning. 

This only solidified his certainty that Marinette really was his better half. She saw Lila as the snake she was, and if he would have gotten rid of her sooner, none of this would have happened. At least Adrien knew this would make good television, even if it humiliated him because he didn’t notice that something like this was happening. 

Not too long after, Chris Harrison walked through the door. Adrien stood and shook hands with him, and gave him a grim smile. 

“Hey Adrien, I came as soon as I heard,” Chris said, grabbing Adrien fatherly by the shoulder. “Are you all right?” 

Adrien let out a dry chuckle, “I’m not going to lie to you Chris, I’ve been better.” 

“That’s understandable. Listen, I’m going to go take care of Lila, all you have to do is leave okay? You don’t have to stay and watch this. You won’t even have to explain it to the other girls if you don’t think you can, we can have it all arranged for you.” 

Adrien considered that for a moment. If he walked away now, Lila would win. No, he wanted to see her realize that she had dug her own grave and that there was no way out now. “Can I do it?” Chris looked a little surprised, so Adrien added, “I want to be the one to send her home.” Chris nodded and turned back towards the house. Adrien followed. 

They found Lila hiding this time in a spare bedroom. Adrien took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and tried not to look too excited about doing this. 

“Lila. I just wanted to let you know that I am completely appalled by what you have done to me and how you have treated our relationship. You have manipulated me and lied straight to my face for weeks now, and I cannot have a relationship like that with my future wife.” He took another deep breath before continuing. “I’m going to ask you to leave the house and the show now.” 

Lila gave an annoyed nod like she knew this was going to happen before turning to Chris. “What happens to Mark? What about my stuff?” 

Chris stepped into the light, “Your stuff will be shipped to your house in Italy. As for the staff member that was involved in your affair, he has been let go to find employment elsewhere.” There was a moment where Adrien thought Lila was going to fight for Mark’s job, but Chris gently took her arm before she could say anything, “Lila, let me walk you out.” 

And with that, Lila Rossi finally walked out of Adrien’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what they say, "Good things come to those who wait." ;-)


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one for you all today, but I promise the best is yet to come :)
> 
> Your comments, especially in that last chapter lol, give me life. Thank you guys so much for your support!

Marinette was excited when she was finally allowed to get ready for the rose ceremony. She had spent the last four days doing absolutely nothing in the mansion all by herself and she was losing her mind. Even if this rose ceremony meant Juliette going home, since Lucie and Lila had to stay, thanks to Gabriel Agreste. Saying goodbye to Juliette would be horrible, but at least the other girls would come back to the mansion and she wouldn’t be alone anymore after tonight. 

They were doing this rose ceremony differently and it was actually happening outside of the mansion. That excited Marinette even more since she was actually getting to leave the mansion. She put on a dark blue dress with a low sweetheart neckline with skinny straps and a high slit on her right leg. This dress gave her the illusion of curves which her Ladybug physique didn’t allow for and Marinette was grateful for the thicker material that could hide her shaking hands as she watched Adrien send home another one of her best friends. 

The SUV deposited her outside of an airplane terminal and Marinette instantly became nervous. Tikki was hidden in the folds of her dress, but she wasn’t prepared to travel anywhere, especially since Adrien would probably be going with her. Which would then leave Paris unprotected. Marinette was on the verge of a freak out when she noticed Chris Harrison standing next to the terminal, smiling at Marinette. 

She walked up to him and gave him a warm smile. “Marinette,” he said, gently pulling her into a hug. 

“Hi, Chris.” Marinette responded before pulling away. She was very grateful that Chris had decided to travel over to Paris for their season, as he had been a steady force and a constant reminder that these things do work and that everything can end up okay in the end. 

“How are you?” 

“Good, I’m good.” 

“How are you feeling?” 

Marinette paused, not wanting to sound too confident, “I’m okay. Nervous but excited to see Adrien again tonight.” 

“You don’t seem nervous,” Chris pointed out with a smile. 

Marinette laughed, “That’s because I’m very good at hiding it.” 

“Do you think you had a good week?” 

Marinette thought back to everything that had happened that week and couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. “I didn’t get to travel as much as I’d like,” she said with a wink, to which Chris chuckled, “But I think my Hometown turned out really well.” 

“I like the confidence, Marinette.” Chris said with a gentle smile, “Go ahead and follow the red carpet and find your spot.” 

“Thank you,” Marinette replied as she did as she was instructed. She followed the red carpet into the terminal and she felt herself take in a breath as she laid eyes on what was inside. 

It was covered in lights and lanterns and candles. The lights were soft enough to set the mood and also give the room a warm color. As she continued on the red carpet to her name spot, she noticed the three roses sitting on a podium made of a handsome dark wood, as well as Lucie patiently waiting for the other girls to arrive and elegant in a light pink. 

After Marinette stopped on her marked spot, she waited less than a minute for Juliette to arrive. Juliette had the same look of awe as she walked towards their spots that Marinette had, and when she stopped she gave Marinette a smile and a small wave. Marinette waited for Lila to appear soon after Juliette, but she didn’t come. After a couple of minutes, Marinette leaned over to Juliette and whispered, “Do you think something happened to her?” 

Juliette shrugged and whispered back, “Maybe she just wanted to make an entrance.” 

Just then, they heard a car door shut from outside and both Marinette and Juliette rolled their eyes. So very typical of Lila to be late. 

Instead of Lila, however, they were treated with the beautiful sight that was Adrien. He was dressed in a crisp suit with a dark grey button down and a black tie. He didn’t look confused to see only three girls gathered and Marinette knew that something must have happened. 

“Good evening ladies,” Adrien said as he hit his spot right next to the roses. “This week definitely gave me a lot more than I thought was possible going into it. To be able to go meet your families, and just have such amazing conversations with all of them is more than I could have hoped for.” Adrien took a deep breath, and there was something off about his expression, but Marinette couldn’t pinpoint what it was. “As you may have noticed, Lila is not currently with us tonight.” Marinette’s gaze snapped back to the spot that should have been Lila’s. She had almost forgotten that it was empty because of Adrien’s entrance. 

“It was discovered at my meeting with her parents that Lila had been intimately involved with one of our crew members for almost the entire duration of the show’s filming.” Marinette felt her jaw drop, and noticed that Lucie and Juliette looked the same. “She was promptly removed from the competition and sent home with her parents.” A small smirk creeped its way across Adrien’s face and Marinette realized what was off with his expression. He was trying very hard to keep a smile off of his face. 

It all made sense. Lila’s constant sneaking around and being up at crazy hours at night. How she noticed Marinette sneaking off with Plagg the night of the Task, she was up and _actively participating_ in something that, if caught, would have gotten them in serious trouble. Any slight noise or movement would have put them on high alert and that was when Lila discovered Marinette sneaking out. This also must have been the dirt that Sasha had on Lila, which makes sense because Sasha’s room had been right next door to Lila’s this whole time. She would have _heard_ the noises and eventually put two and two together. 

Adrien must have been ecstatic to get rid of Lila, the biggest problem child on this show. His Father’s second favorite being eliminated for a reason even he couldn’t argue with. 

“With that being said,” Adrien started, jerking Marinette from her trance. She glanced at the two girls on either side of her. Lucie was fully in shock and looked uncomfortable by the idea of what Lila had done. Juliette, on the other hand, looked so excited she was like a kid in a candy store. “Juliette,” Juliette walked slowly up to Adrien, clearly trying to appear calmer than she actually was. “Juliette, will you accept this rose?” Juliette nodded and gave Adrien a hug before walking back to her spot next to Marinette, rose in hand. 

“Marinette,” Adrien called and she walked up to him, giving him an encouraging smile. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” Marinette whispered an, “Always,” before giving Adrien a hug. As his face was buried in her hair, he whispered, “I’ll tell you everything on Sunday, I promise.” Marinette just smiled at him as they broke apart and returned to her spot. Once Lucie’s rose was given out, the girls watched Adrien walk out and get into a car before they were ushered into theirs. 

Juliette broke the minute the car door shut. “Oh my God I cannot _believe_ that is what that girl was up to!” She shrieked and giggled. 

“It makes total sense, though,” Marinette added. “Between the lying and the bullying and how desperate she was to stay on the show.” 

“All of her actions have never made sense, but it does knowing that Adrien wasn’t the guy she was really here for.” Juliette finished with a devious smile. 

“I just can’t believe she would do that to Adrien,” Lucie said, still in shock about the whole thing. Marinette and Juliette nodded, letting the silence sit for a moment as they realized how much Adrien had been played. 

“On the bright side,” Juliette said, finally breaking the growing silence, “that snake is gone and we won’t be stuck in a hotel room by ourselves anymore!” 

Marinette and Lucie laughed. “The mansion is a lot creepier when there aren’t any other living beings inside of it with you,” Marinette admitted, causing another laugh to escape from Juliette. 

Once they made it to the mansion, the other two girls’ suitcase delivered while they were out, Juliette poured the three of them each a glass of champagne. “To the death of the Snake!” 

Lucie and Marinette repeated the toast and drank to the end of Lila’s reign on their lives.

\----------------------------------------------------

Sunday’s patrol was wonderful. Chat gave Ladybug all of the wonderful details about Lila’s hometown and how it feels to finally be rid of her. 

“I feel as though a major weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I can finally act as though I’ve seen how messed up she was and how glad I am to have her out of my life.” Adrien was saying and Marinette completely agreed. 

“Last night the three of us toasted to Lila’s disappearance and I can honestly say that finding that out about Lila was one of the happiest moments I’ve ever had on this show.” 

Chat looked offended at that statement and the look caused Ladybug to laugh. She reached over and scratched behind his ear, which she knew was a weak spot for him, “Don’t worry _Chaton_ , all the other top five moments involve you.”   
He leaned into her touch for a little bit before sitting up and becoming suddenly very serious, “I know this isn’t what you were expecting to hear tonight, but I just wanted to apologize for ever trusting Lila and doubting you.” Chat said, sheepishly looking at the ground and refusing to meet Ladybug’s eyes. 

“Oh, Kitty, don’t apologize for seeing the good in everyone. You have a wonderful heart and one of the many things I love about you is how you can see a bright side to everything and everyone.” Chat looked at her then and she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t ever change, Kitty. We may adapt as we grow older and have lived with each other for a while, but don’t ever think to change something so vital to your personality because you want to impress me. I love you just the way you are.” 

They shared a moment, where the rest of Paris faded away and it was only those two on the rooftop drinking in the other’s presence. “Thanks Bugaboo for being there for me.” 

“Always,” Ladybug promised with a smile. “Can you just promise me one thing?” Ladybug asked, trying very hard to not let her voice shake. 

“Of course,” Chat responded, not even doubting her tone. 

“Please, _please_ , don’t give me any details about what happens in the other fantasy suites.” 

Chat blushed a deep red and looked very uncomfortable suddenly. “Don’t remind me.” He murmured.

“Are they going to make you sleep with anyone?” Ladybug asked, trying very hard to not sound too interested in his response. 

“No, thankfully that’s totally up to me.” 

“Think you’re going to get lucky?” Ladybug’s tone was joking, but they were slowly working towards a topic they hadn’t discussed just yet. 

Chat’s eyes suddenly locked on hers and the intensity in them was blinding, “That all depends on what one particular girl decides.” 

Now it was Ladybug’s turn to blush. “We’ve never discussed how we feel on that particular subject.” 

“No, we haven’t.” 

“So, do you want to talk about it now, or wait until the televised date?” Ladybug asked, secretly hoping he’d say the latter. Anything to get away from this awkwardness that had settled over them at the current moment. 

“Marinette,” Chat said plainly, shocking Ladybug enough with the use of her real name to his full attention. “I want to marry you, tomorrow if this stupid show would let me. I want to have a life with you, where we run Gabriel together or even start up our own company to get out from my Father’s gaze. But, I also want to start a family with you.” He grabbed her hands and scooted closer to her to where their knees were touching. “And I may not be an expert of any sorts, but I’m pretty sure babies don’t come from the sky with the help of storks, do they?” 

Ladybug let out a small laugh and leaned forward to rest her head on Adrien’s. “I want all of that with you too Adrien, I just don’t know if the time is right.” 

“I don’t know if the time will ever be right, and this isn’t something we have to decide tonight. Whenever our date comes, if it feels like something we want to pursue we can.” Adrien took a deep breath and Marinette felt her hair stir from it. “I can promise you this, though, I will not come close to doing any of that with either of the other girls. We may talk or laugh or even kiss a little, but I swear on my life I won’t let that happen with anyone except you.” 

Ladybug let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She trusted Adrien, a lot, but it was still really nice to hear the words come from his mouth, a promise she knew he would keep. They shared a brief kiss before Ladybug broke it apart with an interesting thought that had suddenly surfaced in her mind. 

“You know, there won’t be protection in that room.” 

Chat pulled away sharply and raised an eyebrow in a look of question that was insanely hot. “How do you know that?” 

She had opened her mouth to respond right as Chat had come to the same conclusion, “Alya,” they said together. 

Ladybug shrugged, “Her research is solid; she hasn’t led me wrong yet. Just something to keep in mind.” 

Chat looked uncomfortable at that information, and stood up quickly before offering a hand for her to do the same, “And on that happy note, let’s actually begin patrolling this city.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the fun begin...

The worst part about this week was that all of the girls were in the same mansion for it. Juliette, Lucie and Marinette were sitting in the living room having a lively chat about the pros and cons of the Twilight series when a knock at the door came. All of the girls looked startled, as there wasn’t a camera in sight. They shared a look, and it was clear from the other girl’s expressions that Marinette was going to have to answer it. 

When she returned with an envelope in hand, both girls looked curious. Marinette cracked it open and read the paper silently to herself before she realized she should probably read it out loud for the benefit of the others. 

“This week will look a little different, and I’d appreciate the patience. Everyone will get a turn, I promise, but Juliette, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Love, Adrien.” Marinette passed the paper to Juliette, and Lucie peeked over her shoulder to make sure that’s really what he said. 

“Patience? What does that even mean?” Lucie asked, looking at Marinette as if she held all the answers. Marinette just shrugged and shook her head. 

“And what am I supposed to wear?” Juliette asked incredulously. “They didn’t give me anything to work with,” Juliette crossed her arms with a pout. In the oddness of the afternoon, Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at her childish reaction. 

“What?” Juliette asked, slightly defensive. 

“I’m sure they’ll tell you what to pack tomorrow morning, there’s no reason to worry,” Marinette tried to sound reassuring, but Juliette snapped. 

“I’m sure that I’m allowed to freak out about something that you might see as _not a big deal_.” Juliette’s tone was harsh and Marinette didn’t even know what to say. She looked to Lucie for help, but she looked just as baffled as Marinette did. 

“Juliette—” 

“Just let me freak out okay?” Juliette said, her tone more panicky than it was angry. She took a deep breath and then ran off up the stairs, assumably to her room. 

Marinette turned to Lucie, but Lucie just shrugged and wandered off to a different part of the house. 

Marinette gave Juliette 15 minutes before she followed her up the stairs. She found her curled in a ball on her bed and Marinette gently sat down next to her. 

“You’re too calm,” Juliette started with a huff of frustration. 

“What should I be freaking out about?” Marinette asked curiously. 

Juliette sat up and turned to face Marinette. She took another deep breath before she spoke again. “You act as though this show has no effect on you at all. This week could be the first time that you are intimate with Adrien, where you have hours and hours of unwatched time to talk. Or worse, he could not ask me to stay the night, and then I’ll be going home for sure! This week, Adrien could go and have sex with every girl left in this competition, and yet you are the only one who looks unbothered by that fact.” 

“Lucie doesn’t look upset,” Marinette pointed out, panic slightly rising in her. Just because she knew the outcome of the show doesn’t mean that she wasn’t scared out of her mind about what was to come, it just meant she didn’t show it as much. But Lucie had seemed calm and so had Juliette until the date card arrived. 

“Lucie’s been quiet, and you know that when she’s freaking out about something, she gets quiet.” Juliette countered, and Marinette nodded, knowing that to be true. 

“Juliette, I am terrified of what this week holds and the possibility of going home, but I know that it’s more important in the mansion to be supportive of everyone else. It’s worse knowing that if you don’t come home tomorrow, which I know you won’t because he would be crazy not to want to spend that time with you, I’ll know who you are with and what you could be doing. But right now, you need a friend, and Lucie will need a friend and hopefully while I’m gone, you two will be there to support each other. We can’t let the prospect of a boy that one of the three of us is going to marry not allow us to act civilized around each other.” 

Juliette sighed at the end of Marinette’s speech. “You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped at you. Will you wake up early tomorrow morning and see me off?” 

“Of course I will,” Marinette responded with a smile. She and Juliette shared a hug before Marinette went off to her own room for the night.

\----------------------------------------------------

Lucie had gathered the next morning as well, and Marinette was grateful she wasn’t going to have to see Juliette off by herself. Marinette didn’t want to ever feel alone again in this mansion, the week of Hometowns was enough. 

Lucie was fluffing Juliette’s hair and Marinette was applying another round of lip gloss to her lips, when something she had been chewing on since patrol on Sunday came to mind. 

“Um, guys, this is going to sound really weird,” Marinette started, causing both girls to snap their heads up at her, giving her their full attention. “I was just wondering if we could promise each other something, before you leave, Juliette.” Both girls looked apprehensive and didn’t say anything, so Marinette continued. “Could we promise each other, not to go into... details, about these dates. It’s going to be obvious whether any of us stay for the Fantasy Suite, but I don’t know if I can stand knowing every little detail about what you did.” 

Relief shown on both of the girls’ faces. Juliette breathed out a sigh of relief and dropped her head to rest on Marinette’s shoulder. “Can we please? I don’t want to know anything that happens after the day portion of the date is done.” 

“That would make me a lot more comfortable with how this week progresses as well,” Lucie agreed, a hint of her old joy peeking through her tone of voice. 

Marinette relaxed slightly too. While she knew that Adrien’s plan wasn’t to sleep with either of the other girls, it was still a relief that she wouldn’t be getting their whole night in gritty details while trying to figure out if sex is what she wanted to happen between her and Adrien just yet. 

The happy moment between the three of them ended too soon when a car could be heard pulling up to the mansion. 

“Have fun, Juliette,” Marinette said while giving her a hug. Lucie copied Marinette with the same kind of sentiment and they both watched together as Juliette walked out the door, giddy with excitement about what was to come for her. 

Juliette didn’t come back that night.

\----------------------------------------------------

It was three days after Juliette got back from her Fantasy Suite when the next envelope came. All it had on it was Lucie’s name and a note about seeing her the next morning. No clues, nothing revealing to the date at all, but Lucie didn’t react the way that Juliette had, because they at least understood the process now. 

Marinette was thankful to have Juliette by her side as they sent Lucie off to her date, solely because it meant a more interesting day than she had had with Lucie. Lucie was so nervous for her date that she stopped talking. Marinette, who was more at ease than she should be, grew bored and was reminded of that horrible week in the mansion by herself as the day went along. She knew in the back of her mind that she wasn’t actually by herself, she just felt alone in the quiet house. 

Juliette was calmer when she came back from the date and told of fun times, bungee jumping and hot tubs and long, meaningful talks, but that’s where the talking stopped. At least she wasn’t stressing about it anymore. They spent Lucie’s date-day watching movies and goofing around, the weather slowly getting colder forcing them to spend their times indoors, though they did end up having indoor s’mores for dinner, as all true adults should. 

Lucie didn’t come home that night either.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was losing her mind. It had been a week since Lucie went on her Fantasy Suite date, and yet not a single card had come for Marinette, announcing that it was her turn with Adrien. The only bright spot from all of this was that at least she looked and felt as frazzled as everyone expected her to be. 

Chat/Adrien had seemed totally normal at their patrol on Sunday. They just patrolled like normal and didn’t even mention the show once, something that hadn’t happened since the show’s creation. But now, five days after their last patrol, Marinette was ready to skin that kitty for what he was putting her through. 

The worst part was that it had been raining. For the past 4 days, it had been dark and gloomy and wet with no signs of it letting up. Even though it would have been too cold to go outside, Marinette was feeling even more trapped in the mansion than normal. Not even Tikki could relax her as she freaked out about why her date card hadn’t come yet. 

“I’m sure Adrien has a very good reason for the delay, Marinette. There’s no reason to assume the worst.” Tikki had said Wednesday afternoon. 

By Friday afternoon, Marinette had assumed the worst. She had told Tikki about fifteen different reasons why Adrien hadn’t sent for her yet, and almost all of them included her no longer being the chosen winner. This week of waiting was stripping her of her confidence. 

Juliette and Lucie were trying to be supportive as well. They would all sit in the living room closest to the door together until lunch time, talking casually, but always alert in case a knock came. When it didn’t, they dragged Marinette to the kitchen for lunch and then forced her to participate in time-consuming activities that almost took her mind off of the situation at hand. At least once her Fantasy Suite date was over, Lucie had returned to the bright and bubbly girl she had always been in the mansion. 

Saturday morning showed some promise as the rain finally let up and, nearly two weeks since she, as Marinette, had seen Adrien, there was a loud knock at the door. 

Lucie answered the door and Marinette was startled to hear that there was a voice talking to her as she opened the door. After a brief conversation of muffled words that Marinette wished she could understand, Lucie bolted into the room, an excited look on her face. 

“Okay, go get ready, bring a swimsuit, a nice outfit and an overnight bag just in case, you have 30 minutes.” 

Marinette was so in shock she didn’t move. Thankfully, Juliette jumped up and ran towards Marinette’s room, already murmuring about all the things she needed to pack for her. Lucie was a little kinder and helped Marinette off the couch and walked her upstairs. By the time they reached Marinette’s room, Juliette had already packed the overnight bag, minus a couple of things Marinette would need for Tikki. She had also already picked out a swimsuit and a very sexy dress that was not at all something Marinette would have picked out for herself. That snapped Marinette out of her daze and she got to work. 

Twenty-eight and a half minutes later, Marinette, Juliette, and Lucie were gathered around the front door making last minute adjustments to Marinette’s appearance, her change of clothes and overnight bag already left outside to be collected by a producer. When the knock came at the door, all three girls jumped, forgetting what they were waiting for. 

“Thank you guys so much,” Marinette breathed as she hugged both girls tightly. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Juliette said with a wink. 

“Have fun!” Lucie said, giving Marinette one more hug. 

She smiled, more than ready for whatever today/tonight held for her, and went to open the door. 

“Good morning, Marinette,” Adrien’s beautiful voice greeted her. Marinette’s jaw dropped and she almost lost her footing because she was so in shock, though she was able to catch herself on the doorframe. 

“Adrien,” Marinette breathed, trying desperately to get her heart rate under control. 

“I’m so sorry I made you wait, my plans for today required the weather to be a certain way, but I figured I’d pick you up in person to make up for it.” Adrien’s reassuring smile made Marinette forget about the whole week. She suddenly couldn’t remember what she had been stressing about. It was as if all her worries melted in the beautiful rays of Adrien’s smile. 

Marinette was so caught up in the sight of Adrien that she forgot to answer him, but when he offered her his arm, she didn’t hesitate to take it. 

The ride was wonderful and slightly longer than she had expected it to be. The conversation between the two was easy, and Marinette kept forgetting that they weren’t actually alone, as the driver of the SUV could hear every word they said. 

When the car actually stopped, they were in an area that wasn’t Paris. Before Marinette could ask, Adrien had Marinette’s hand and pulled her out of the car. “Just a little bit farther,” he whispered as they walked. Adrien’s fingers were intertwined with hers and it made her heart thump loudly in her chest. There wasn’t a need for conversation here, and it became clear where they were going the further they walked. 

Adrien stopped at the edge of the Seine, where a camera crew sat waiting for them to appear. Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand and gave her a pointed look, and she finally was able to ask her question. 

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing today?” She asked, beaming up at Adrien. 

“I figured since the weather’s a little nicer today that we would enjoy a scenic view of Paris as we traveled in a boat down the Seine.” Marinette didn’t know what to expect, but she wasn’t expecting that. She glanced down at her outfit and was about to ask whether her swimsuit was necessary when Adrien beat her to it. “Don’t worry, you’re dressed perfectly for this date.” 

He pulled her along, closer to the edge of the river and noticed a cute white and grey boat that moored there. There was a man on the boat already, clearly the driver for the outing. Adrien helped Marinette on, and guided her to a blanket that was set up on the flat back of the boat. Once the camera crew was set, they were off. 

At first, Marinette couldn’t think of what to say. It was beautiful, and they were just outside of Paris, an area that Marinette hadn’t gotten to see a lot. The buildings and parks and features of the city looked prettier and more romantic from the boat. Or maybe it was the company she kept. 

“How are you feeling?” Adrien asked. Marinette jumped slightly, as she had been so distracted by the city that floated by that she didn’t feel Adrien move close enough to whisper in her ear. She turned her head to look at him and had to resist the urge to lean in slightly and kiss him. 

“I’m okay. It’s been a long, stressful week, but I’m better now that I’m with you,” Marinette put a small smile on her face and tried to ignore the grimace in Adrien’s eyes. 

“I’m so sorry about that. I wanted this date to be perfect and was waiting for the weather to cooperate with me. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it up to you.” Adrien sounded genuinely sorry, and Marinette knew that this wasn’t something he would have done to her on purpose. But his guilt gave her the perfect in. 

“I know just the way you can. I want you to play a game with me.” Adrien’s shocked face made Marinette giggle and she had to shake her head slightly to refocus herself. “In my time sitting around the mansion, I was able to come up with a list of questions that I wanted to ask you.” As she said this, she pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of the back pocket of her pants. When she flicked it open, she watched Adrien’s eyes bug a little. She stifled another giggle. 

“You don’t have long to think about these questions if we’re ever going to make it through them all.” Adrien blanched, but Marinette dove right in. “Question Number 1: If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life what would it be?” 

“Croissants,” Adrien answered after a beat. 

“Oh, interesting,” Marinette responded, smirking slightly. Chat was obsessed with her parent’s croissants but she knew that Adrien wasn’t actually able to eat them as much as he would like. 

“Question Number 2: What’s—” 

“Wait, don’t I get to hear your answers?” Adrien interrupted. 

“Nope,” Marinette said, popping the _p_. “My game, my rules. Question Number 2: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?” 

They continued to float down the Seine, Marinette asking random questions such as, “What is your favorite place in the world?” and “What is your favorite holiday?” Adrien was a good sport and answered every question as best as he could, until they got towards the end. 

“What is one thing you’ve learned from a past relationship?” Marinette asked, eyeing the end of the list and the questions that may be harder to answer. When Adrien didn’t answer immediately, she looked up at him. For the first time since the date started, he looked uncomfortable. She felt herself blush at his reaction, and was about to move on to a different question when he answered. 

“Honestly, I’ve never been in a relationship before this show. My experience here has taught me to be kind and open-minded to everyone and everything. That way you’ll learn even more and won’t be quick to cast judgement on others before you get to know them.” 

Marinette was so shocked at his answer, that she forgot to ask the next question. Who could he be talking about? Was there someone that he got rid of early on that left an impression that he’s upset about losing? Who could Adrien, the sweetest person alive, have pre-judged unfairly? Marinette raced through the faces of the girls she could remember from the beginning trying to see if she could spot the girl from her unconscious thoughts.

“Marinette?” Adrien asked, pulling her attention back to him and the present. “What were your past relationships like?” 

“Well,” She started, not prepared for the slight change of topic, even if her question had brought it on. “I only had one boyfriend before coming on the show. We started dating when I was 15 and we broke up right after I graduated from high school. His name was Luka and he was a wonderful first boyfriend.” She paused, taking a breath and trying to analyze Adrien’s thoughts as she spoke. She never told Chat that she had been dating someone, because she mostly did it to get Chat out of her head, however unsuccessful that was. 

“What happened, if you mind me asking,” Adrien’s hand drifted towards her knee and with the sun beginning to set behind him, he looked almost angelic. 

“No, it’s okay. It was a mutual split. He was going off to travel the world and play with his band, and I was going off to college. It seemed easier that way, plus it just didn’t turn out to be a relationship I was willing to fight for, I guess.” Marinette met Adrien’s eyes and she could see that he understood the deeper parts of what she was saying. She couldn’t give Luka her full focus and attention because she was still totally in love with Chat Noir aka, Adrien. 

“Have you found something worth fighting for yet?” Adrien asked in a small voice, his eyes flicking off of hers and to their entwined hands. 

“I wouldn’t have stayed this long if I hadn’t,” she whispered back. He leaned in for a kiss, but she pulled back, automatically reaching to flick his bell that wasn’t there. To cover up the motion, she gently rested her hand on his chest and pushed away. “Tsk tsk, trying to distract me from your list of questions. We only have a few more to do, don’t worry.” Adrien let out a small groan, but smiled excitedly for the next one. 

“If you had to describe me in three words, what would they be? I’ll give you a moment to think,” she told him, just starting to see the wheels turn as he thought of something for this one. 

While he was thinking, Marinette realized that they had finally made their way back to the heart of Paris, though something felt off about the view. Marinette brushed it off as the view from the water, but as they floated past André’s ice cream cart, she realized that no one on the street was moving. André himself was frozen mid-scoop. 

Adrien must have sensed the change in the city as well, or just noticed how suddenly alert Marinette had become, but he was scanning the street as well, which was just at eye level. “Something’s wrong,” he announced, and Marinette could almost see his Chat ears on high alert. Adrien reached the same explanation, the only explanation, at the same time as Marinette. 

“Akuma,” they said together. 

Adrien stood up, the epitome of grace that he was, he didn’t even rock the boat or lose his balance. “We need to dock right now, and we all need to take shelter,” Adrien demanded of the crew people around them, who just stared. “There’s an akuma, and we can’t let anything happen to anyone involved.” 

“Look, Adrien, we haven’t even gotten an alert yet—” A crew member started, but he was cut off by his cell phone going off, with what Marinette assumed was the alert. “How did you even know—?” he asked, but Marinette cut him off this time as Adrien went to address the driver. 

“It’s a native thing. We Parisians are good at noticing things like this.” Adrien swiftly returned to Marinette’s side and began to help her up, knowing just how clumsy she could be. 

“We can’t just take shelter, we are filming here!” The same crewman, who must have been the producer in charge, argued. “We don’t know if we are actually in danger or not.” 

Adrien turned on him then, suddenly looking a lot more like his father, “I will not risk Marinette’s safety because ‘we don’t know that we are in danger.’ There is an akuma, we don’t know specifically where it is, therefore we will shelter and continue recording once the akuma has been dealt with.” Adrien’s tone was so serious and demanding, Marinette was surprised the producer was even able to _think_ about arguing with him. 

“But sir—” 

“No.” Adrien growled, scaring even Marinette in the moment. His eyes scanned the area where they were, and pointed to a nondescript building as the boat came to stop by the street. “There’s a safe place to hide in there, and there should be people sheltering already. We’ll see you guys when the akuma threat is over.” Marinette felt a tug on her hand and blindly followed Adrien off the boat and towards the building. 

“How are we going to get away,” she whispered once she knew they were far enough away from the cameras. 

“We’re going to push our way through the crowd and go out the back entrance. We should be safe to transform there.” 

“How do you know there’s a lot of people in there?” Marinette asked, skepticism filling her voice. 

Adrien didn’t seem to hear it though, as he flashed her a classic Chat grin, “My hearing is unbeatable.” Sure enough, as Adrien pushed through the door into the building, a thick crowd had gathered, clearly hiding from the akuma. Adrien kept his head down and pushed quickly through the crowd, both of them muttering hushed apologies. Adrien was right again when they found the back exit that led to an alleyway, very hidden from view. 

Without letting go of each other’s hands, they quickly called for their transformations and slipped onto the rooftops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the _real_ fun stuff is coming :)


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas everyone! My gift to you is an extra long chapter today that is jam packed! I don't have much time off these next couple of weeks, but hopefully I'll be able to write and post a new chapter soon enough! We are in the home stretch, friends, just a little longer before we reach the end! <3

Running across the rooftops with Ladybug by his side felt wonderful. He truly had missed Marinette more than he cared to admit and just knowing that she was in-step with him as they ran around Paris was calming. He felt surer of himself and steadier with every step he took that she was beside him. He didn’t know if that was because of the enhanced bond/powers thing that came after the Task, or just because he was so completely in love with her. 

He didn’t have time to ponder about it, though, as they ran a quick sweep through the city. It seemed like the akuma had already hit about half of the city, and the targets seemed to be completely random. There was also no sign of an akuma during their sweep, so it either was traveling in circles around them, or hiding somewhere unseen from the rooftops. 

Both Ladybug and Chat stopped running on the same rooftop, as if some unspoken agreement had passed through them. “We need to lure it to us, otherwise we could spend the whole day looking for this akuma.” Ladybug said, as she scanned the skyline. 

“What? You don’t want to spend the rest of your day chilling with me?” He asked with a sly grin. She shot him a look that made his heart pound before rolling her eyes. 

“I don’t know about you, Kitty, but I have a hot date to get back to.” 

She said it so matter-of-factly, that for a moment, he was heartbroken, the idea of some handsome fellow waiting for his Bug to come back to their date. After a beat though, he flushed dark red as he realized that _he was the hot date_. He opened his mouth to respond with something witty, but all that came out were random noises that were not in any way associated with a complete sentence. 

Ladybug giggled at that before turning her eyes back to the horizon. “I think we need to draw attention to ourselves. Let the akuma know that we’re here, so it will leave the rest of Paris alone.” She had on this cute little thinking face, and Chat was having a hard time focusing when something caught his eye from over her shoulder. It was a TV broadcast of Nadja Chamack reporting on the akuma, but she was frozen, presumably because the akuma had beamed her. But, the camera seemed to be still rolling live and if that was true then...

“I’ve got an idea,” he announced. He grabbed Ladybug’s hand before she could ask questions and vaulted off of the roof. “I remember seeing her about a block away,” he mumbled, as he raked the streets looking for the tell-tale signs of a camera crew. Sure enough, three blocks from where they were standing, Nadja and the crew were frozen by the akuma. 

“Ahhh, smart Kitty,” Ladybug whispered into his ear, with a light peck on his cheek. He felt a shiver run down his spine from the sensation of her breath on his ear, but quickly shook it off and grabbed the camera, turning the spotlight onto his Lady. 

“People of Paris, do not fear! We, the almighty and undefeated heroes of Paris, are here to stop this akuma from freezing any more people. Please stay calm and stay in your houses, and know that Ladybug and Chat Noir are right around the corner,” she paused as she looked at their surroundings. “Specifically, we are on the corner of Rivoli and Pont Neuf.” 

“A block from the Louvre!” Chat supplied helpfully. 

“Yes! A block from the Louvre! We will keep you safe from a block from the Louvre!” 

“And cut!” Chat said as he unplugged the camera. He saw the TV screen behind him go black and felt confident that they were no longer on air. “It’s a good thing you’re a wonderful designer, because I don’t think acting is your strong suit.” 

Ladybug let out an adorable giggle and shoved him playfully. “I was trying to be as obvious as I could be.” 

“Well then, you did a wonderful job.” Chat said, slinking closer and closer to her. He reached out and brushed his fingers across her cheek, causing a blush to spread under her mask. His brain told him to pull away and step back. According to the public eye, Ladybug and Chat Noir weren’t dating (yet) and the akuma could use that knowledge against them. _But_ , his instincts told him that if he didn’t kiss her right here, right now, he was going to spontaneously combust. 

Right as he was about to decide, a very poor evil laugh interrupted them, and he was forced to quickly step away and turn towards the noise. 

“Ah ha! You silly pests led me right to your location!” The akuma yelled as she glided closer to them on the street. This akuma was very... green. The girl was no older than 18 and her hair was standing straight up, colored a lime green, and her fitted spandex outfit was mostly black with bright green accents throughout. She was standing on a hoverboard that was also green and black, and her eyes were bright with green fire. She almost looked like a feminine Hades from Disney’s _Hercules_. But green. 

Chat made eye contact with Ladybug and he instantly understood what they needed to do. “Awe shucks!” Chat called, dramatically sweeping his hand over his brow. “Caught once again by an akuma. Whatever are we going to do, milady?” 

“I guess we’ll just have to stand and fight,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. 

The akuma let out another evil laugh, which truly needed some work. You think Hawkmoth would have worked with her on that while she was rampaging the city or something. “Let’s see how well you do fighting while FROZEN IN TIME!” she yelled, and, using her right hand, pointed directly at Chat. He didn’t understand what was happening until a split second before the beam touched him, and he flipped out of the way. 

“Damn she may not be very smart but she is fast,” Chat murmured under his breath. Ladybug, who had engaged the akuma in a fight after shooting at him, gave a small smirk, showing that she had heard him, even though there was at least 15 feet between the two of them. 

Chat jogged to join Ladybug while casually dodging beams from the akuma. He was about to call out something, to turn the akuma’s attention on him, when he saw it. 

It was almost like it happened in slow motion. Ladybug had just flipped out of the way from a beam and had shot her yo-yo out to steady herself. Her feet, however, slipped off the edge of the sidewalk, and she stumbled ever so slightly. A look of panic flashed across Ladybug’s face (the look was so Marinette that it pained Chat that he hadn’t figured out her identity earlier) as she started to fall. Chat had absentmindedly reached out to catch her, when the akuma stretched out her hand and shot a beam right at Ladybug’s chest. 

Chat had to make a split-second decision. Did he let Ladybug get hit with the beam and have to fight the akuma alone, or did he save her and get frozen himself? In that moment, he knew that between her Lucky Charm and her Ladybug Cure, she had the best chance of saving Paris without him. He was running before he even reached this conclusion, his instinct screaming to save Marinette no matter the cost, and he launched himself in between the akuma and Ladybug, just in time for the beam to hit him. 

Suddenly he felt weightless and couldn’t move a muscle. The last thing he was aware of was the pavement coming at him hard, and Ladybug screaming his name, before everything went black.

\----------------------------------------------------

“CHAT!”

Ladybug felt as though her heart had stopped beating. Her clumsiness, which rarely made appearances as Ladybug, had caused Chat to jump in front of her to save her from the akuma’s beam. He sacrificed himself to save her, and she was fuming and heartbroken and frustrated all at the same time. 

They had agreed not to do this. They had agreed that they would be safer and watch each other’s backs, yes, but not do anything stupid. This definitely classified as stupid. She felt tears stream down her face as she shook her head in frustration. 

After the realization of what Chat had done had sunk in, she noticed a faint throbbing in her side. She pressed one hand to it, slightly numbing the pain. Fueled by anger and without thinking, she used her yo-yo to tangle up the akuma’s feet, and flung her three blocks away. Absentmindedly, she was worried that the akuma would be okay, as that kind of brashness was very out of character for her, but the pain in her side demanded her full attention. She steeled herself after a moment and looked at the hand that was pressed to the pain. It came away without any blood. Ladybug did a quick check of herself and realized that no part of her was actually injured. Or really, no _outward_ part of her was injured. She suddenly flashed back to Tikki’s words after they had completed the Task. 

_When the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous owners find each other outside of the masks, their individual powers grow as well as their ability to work together, if they pass the test. Although with that power comes more danger, so you need to be more careful as you fight the akumas, because your power will feed off of each other._

That had to be what this was. Chat had been frozen and because she lost half of their duo, she also lost her enhanced powers. She could hear the akuma coming back towards her, which meant that she was being _really_ loud and must be _very_ mad, and took a moment to do a quick inventory. 

No Chat. No enhanced powers. A burning ache in her side. Unable to stop crying because her heart felt broken. A very angry akuma who wanted to freeze her and take her miraculous. Not exactly how she planned to spend her Fantasy Suite date. 

Ladybug could see the akuma now and quickly called for her lucky charm. A red polka dotted baseball bat landed in her outstretched hands, and before she could think about what in the world she could use this for, the akuma was back. 

“Nice try, Ladybug, but without your little cat friend, you are helpless against me!” The akuma laughed once more and Ladybug considered hitting her in the head with the bat. She can’t see another use for it, but it still seems a little cruel to hit someone in the head who isn’t fully in control of their actions. She instead launched an attack with her yo-yo, keeping a safe distance away from the edge of the sidewalk. 

The tears actually did very little to hinder her progress and, the longer she fought the akuma, the better she understood what the baseball bat was for. She hadn’t seen a lucky charm this direct since Chat had asked for a mirror when he was MisterBug. But it would do. 

Ladybug shortened the length of her attacks, slowly forcing the akuma to inch closer to her. Once she was in firing range, she wrapped the akuma up with her yo-yo, like she had done to fling her across the city, but this time she quickly unraveled her, leaving the akuma spinning like a top. While she was dizzy and disoriented, Ladybug used the bat to sweep the akuma off of her feet and onto the pavement. She bonked her head with a loud crack, and Ladybug knew she only had a few seconds to find the akumatized object before the akuma awoke. 

Not having any idea what the object could be, Ladybug frantically searched the akuma’s pockets until she found a folded-up sheet of paper that was tinted purple. When she ripped it in half, an akuma flew out, and she was able to catch and purify it with her yo-yo. 

“Miraculous Ladybug!” She yelled as she threw the baseball bat into the air. She was finally able to breathe again as the magical ladybugs unfroze all of the people, including Chat Noir. 

Before he was even standing upright, Ladybug had tackled him in a hug, a sob tearing out of her chest. 

“Don’t—you— _ever_ —do—that—again.” She scolded as she sobbed against his chest. He gingerly patted her hair and pulled the two of them upright again. She felt herself grab him by the shoulders and crush his lips onto hers. It wasn’t one of the best kisses they’ve shared, with her tear-streaked face and the feeling of dozens of phones recording this moment for all the world to see, but she sighed, allowing herself to feel relief that he was safe and that everything was back to normal once more. 

When they broke apart, a spattering of applause broke out among the onlookers, and Ladybug felt her cheeks go red. Hand in hand, the two heroes walked towards the only girl who wasn’t entranced by the little show they had just put on. Ladybug wiped her face on her costume as best she could (stupid non-absorbing latex) as Chat walked towards the girl and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey, you’ve had a pretty rough day,” Chat started, causing the girl to look up into his face. “Do you want to tell us about it?” 

Ladybug, gently unfolded the piece of paper that had held the akuma and quickly scanned it. It was a questionnaire, one that Ladybug recognized from her senior year of high school, that asked the seniors what they wanted to do once they graduated. The name at the top said “Tiffany Ann” but the rest was blank. 

“Having a hard time deciding what to do with your future?” Ladybug asked, kneeling in front of the girl, and handing the paper back to her. 

“I just don’t know what I’m good enough at to decide what I want my future to be.” Tiffany Ann sounded on the verge of tears and Chat started gently rubbing her back to calm her down. “I just became so overwhelmed and I guess Hawkmoth—” 

“Took advantage of that.” Ladybug cut in, giving her a soft smile. She shared a look with Chat, who gave her a slight nod. 

“Tiffany Ann, I know how you feel. I’m four years out of high school and I’m still not sure I know what I want to do.” Chat let out a weak chuckle before continuing. “You don’t have to have your whole life figured out by 18. Give it some time, and eventually, what you want to do will come and it’ll be better than anything you could have dreamed up now.” 

Tiffany Ann looked relieved and nodded, smiling slightly. Ladybug just stared at Chat, trying to figure out how much of that applied to his life as well as Tiffany Ann’s. Chat noticed her staring and just gave her a sweet smile before standing and offering to help her up as well. 

As Chat was helping Tiffany Ann up, she blurted out, “So are you two like dating now?” and Ladybug blushed slightly at the abruptness of her question. 

Chat and Ladybug once again shared a look, and Chat gave a little shrug. With the way the two of them had been acting around each other, it’s not surprising that this news would get out some way or another. 

“Yes, we are,” Ladybug responded, twining her fingers through Chat’s. He looked down at her and smiled, giving her hand a squeeze as he did. She heard cameras clicking and could feel Nadja vibrating with excitement in the background. 

Before anyone could say anything, though, the first beep of Ladybug’s earrings chimed and Chat squeezed her hand once more. 

“Maybe next time we’ll have a chance to stop for an interview, Nadja,” Chat said, readying his baton to shoot towards the rooftops. “But today, Milady and I have to go finish our date.” He flashed the crowd a smile as he grabbed Ladybug by the waist and hefted them into the air.

\----------------------------------------------------

Once they were back at the safe house where they left the camera crew, they detransformed and snuck back in through the backdoor. The whole crew was waiting outside by the boat, and the producer in charge was fuming.

“Where have you two been?” He asked, his arms crossed in front of him and his right foot tapping out a beat much too fast to be casual. 

“Hiding from the akuma,” Adrien answered smoothly. “We thought it would be better if we hid in a seperate room so no one would recognize me.” 

Marinette nodded along, hoping the producer would just let this go, just this once. It would make everything a lot easier for everyone. 

She counted to 75 before the producer let out a huff of air. “Fine, whatever. We’ve missed the second part of your day date and so we need you both to go get dressed into your evening wear and we’ll skip straight to the dinner portion of the night.” He ran his hand along the length of his face and sighed. “Editing out these stupid akumas is going to be the death of me,” he murmured before turning on his heel and walking away. 

Both Marinette and Adrien laughed and he pulled her in for a quick hug. “I’ll see you in an hour, okay?” She nodded mutely, still not trusting herself to not break down into tears. 

This had been the longest day ever. Although she knew the fight had only lasted a short while, it felt like days had past, especially that time she had spent without Adrien. She didn’t realize that being apart from him like that would have such a lasting impact on her, but she was still shaken up about it. If she thought about it long enough, she could still feel the ache in her side where Chat had been ripped out of it. 

She got ready numbly, not even paying attention to what she was putting on. After absentmindedly finishing her hair and make-up and eating whatever food was provided for her, she was rushed onto the SUV that would take her to Adrien. 

As they drove, she thought about what tonight could possibly look like. She knew that they would need something to talk about for a little bit before the fantasy suite card was presented, but what could they talk about? The only thing that she could think about was the hole that had been created when Chat sacrificed himself to save her. They couldn’t, however, talk about that in front of the cameras for the sake of their identities. Marinette spent the whole ride racking her brain and was still at a loss when the car stopped and she stepped out to meet Adrien. 

When she saw him, all her worries melted away. 

He was in black slacks and a navy blue and white striped collared shirt, but he looked breathtaking. It was nice to see him here, completely safe and happy to see her and present. She was suddenly aware of how close he was, yet she wasn’t touching him. She felt this desperate need to hold his hand, be by his side, anything to confirm that he was really there and to prevent him from leaving her like that again. 

“Good evening, Marinette, you look amazing.” He smiled, reaching for her hand and giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She grasped his hand like a lifeline and decided she would never let go. 

“Thanks,” she murmured and she noticed a look of concern flash on his face, but his camera-ready smile soon replaced it. 

“I had a really wonderful time today with you, even if it wasn’t exactly what I had planned,” Adrien said as he pulled her chair out for her. They were on some sort of patio dining area, at a table lit with fairy lights and surrounded by flowers. For the first time, she realized that they were at a greenhouse of some sorts and that it was beautiful. 

“Wow, this place is gorgeous.” Marinette said at a normal speaking volume. Adrien looked at her confused and she shook her head slightly, trying to figure out what she missed. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” 

“No, it’s nothing. What were you thinking about?” Adrien asked, a small amount of concern mixing in with the curiosity in his eyes. 

Marinette tried to rack her brain for what she _had_ been thinking just then, but she couldn’t get past the akuma attack. That’s all she’d been thinking about since it happened. She quickly scrambled for something to answer with, since the akuma attack conversation needed to wait until they could be completely candid with each other. 

“If you could describe me in three words, what would they be?” 

Adrien let out a beautiful laugh that made her heart flutter. “Well what an interesting thing to be thinking about.” 

“It was the last question on my list, and you never answered, because of the akuma.” Her voice broke slightly on the word “akuma” but hopefully no one noticed. 

“Ah yes, your thousands of questions you were just dying to ask me.” Adrien responded with a chuckle. “I had almost forgotten about those.” He paused for a moment, clearly thinking about what his answer would be. “Compassionate, because you are always so wonderful to everyone you meet. I swear there isn’t a mean bone in your body. 

“You’re sincere. Everything about you is so honest and real, and I know that when I’m with you, I’m getting to see the real you. 

“And brave. You have put up with some crazy things on this show, and yet you’ve never faltered, you have stuck it out and always come out with a smile. You may be the bravest person I know.” 

“That was more than three words,” Marinette responded, but her voice was soft and she could feel tears on the verge of falling. 

“I felt as though you deserved more than three.” Adrien picked up her chin and pulled her in for a chaste kiss. 

“What about me?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“If you could describe me in three words, what would they be?” 

“You know that I don’t have to answer my own questions.” Marinette responded, a small amount of their joking attitude from earlier peeking through. Eventually she sighed, “Fine, I’ll make an exception for this one.” 

Adrien’s smile was wide, “Thank you.” 

She paused. How do you describe the most amazing person in the entire world in three words? She had known Adrien through the guise of Chat for seven years, and had fallen in love with him twice, both with the mask and without. How can you describe that in such few words? She now understood why he felt the need to explain his answers. 

“First off, you’re so considerate it hurts. You take into account everyone around you and make sure that no one ever feels left out or unappreciated for anything.

“You are also so reliable. You never fail to bring a smile to my face and are constant in attitude and actions alike. 

“Lastly, you’re optimistic.” Adrien made a face when she said that and she let out a little laugh before continuing. “I just mean that you have a knack to see the best in every situation or person or I swear everything you see. You can find the good in everything.” 

“That was more than three words,” Adrien whispered, the mocking tone light and playful. 

“I felt as though you deserved more than three.” Marinette responded, in the same way. 

There was a small point where they just stared at each other before Adrien snapped out of it slightly. “I actually have another question for you, Marinette.” 

“Oh?” She asked, slightly aware of what was to come. 

He pulled out an envelope from underneath his untouched plate and passed it over to her. She opened it and recognized the crisp handwriting of whoever wrote every date card that has ever been delivered. 

“Adrien and Marinette, Congratulations on a very successful date. Should you choose to forgo your individual rooms, please use this key to stay here as a couple in the fantasy suite.” 

“What do you say?” Adrien asked, a lopsided smile daring her to say no. 

“I would love to stay for the fantasy suite with you, Adrien.” Marinette said with a smile of her own. 

He stood up, taking her along with him, and led her down this hidden path that she hadn’t noticed before that led through some trees. They walked for a couple of minutes in comfortable silence before they rounded a corner and ran into a cottage. It was small and beautiful and lit up like a Christmas tree. Marinette gasped at the sight and Adrien turned, beaming at her. “What do you think?” 

“It’s beautiful,” Marinette said in awe as they walked closer to the front door. The whole thing felt as though it was from a movie. From what she could tell in the dark, the cottage was made of tan stones. The door was a dark brown and all of the shutters and trim were the same. Adrien pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door. Once inside, she gasped again. Everything was shaded in an earthy color, and she felt as though she had walked into the inside of a treehouse or something. Flowers were everywhere and it was cozy and comfortable. There was a main living room area attached to a kitchen. Adrien led her through a door on the right that turned out to be the bedroom. The room had the same design as the rest of the house, and the bed looked soft and comfortable. The bathroom was connected to the room and it also had a full set of French doors that led to a patio with a hot tub lit up and ready for them. 

“So, fun fact, we were supposed to have some time in a hot tub this afternoon after our boat ride, but that was spoiled thanks to the akuma. So, they made sure we had one available for us this evening if we wanted to use it.” 

“But I don’t have my—” 

“Check in the bathroom, both of our overnight bags should have been brought over. Go on and get changed, I’ll wait for you.” 

Sure enough, he was right. There were two bags sitting on the counter, one of them being the overnight bag she had packed for today. She pulled out her swimsuit and changed quickly. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and took off the majority of her make-up so it wouldn’t be horrible looking on camera in the water. 

When she was finished they switched, and Marinette was able to find them some towels and was just about to look around outside when Adrien walked out. 

It had been a while since she had seen him without a shirt on, and she had completely forgotten how truly gorgeous this man before her was. 

“Ready?” he asked, eyeing the towels in her hands. He noticed her staring and smirked, making Marinette blush. He closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped his arms around her. “You know, if you like what you see, I’ll be all yours tonight, and I’ll wear whatever you want me to.” 

“Let’s go outside for some fresh air, I’m suddenly very hot in here.” Marinette answered, feeling her blush deepen as Adrien gave a throaty chuckle. 

“Beware there are cameras out there,” he warned as they walked towards the French doors. He opened one of them and ushered her out first. She could see the cameramen swarming the area, catching everything they did and said. They climbed into the hot tub, and Adrien, the gentleman that he was, immediately pulled her into his lap and pressed his lips to hers. 

They sat there, the kisses deepening and deepening, and her legs migrated to wrap themselves around his waist. His hands were exploring her back, tauntingly playing with the strings on the top of her suit and holding her closer to him than she ever thought possible. Her hands acted of their own accord, twining themselves through Adrien’s hair and taking in his well-defined back muscles. Eventually a producer called cut and the two of them broke apart. Adrien had a wild look in his eyes, his pupils blown and his lips swollen from the kissing. She guessed that she didn’t look any better. 

“Okay, we need a shot of you guys making out and closing the curtains on this back door here and then we will be good to go. After that, we’ll have all of our stuff cleared out in five minutes, so give us a bit before you start anything. None of us wants to hear that.” 

Marinette blushed and saw one rising on Adrien as well. She was in the process of removing herself from Adrien when he scooped her up and carried her to the edge of the hot tub. He gently carried her towards the doors bridal style and let them inside. There, they were able to dry off and she put on her wrap and Adrien slipped on a shirt. They knew they needed to start kissing again, and Adrien leaned her gently up against a wall and smiled at her awkwardly. She giggled, grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him down to her. Their kiss wasn’t very deep, but Adrien shifted them closer to the door and grabbed the curtains, sliding them across the window, effectively cutting off the cameras from view. They broke apart and finished pulling the curtains the rest of the way and then froze, waiting for the sound of supplies being picked up. 

“So... what happens now?” Marinette asked, turning away from the door and facing Adrien. 

“Well, we can change into more comfy clothes, there’s snacks in the kitchen, really whatever you want.” 

“What have you done with everyone else?” Marinette asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but also truly curious. 

“Well with Juliette we started off with food and then just laid around the couch talking until it was super late and then we went to sleep. With Lucie we just sat on the bed and talked for a while and eventually she showered and I fell asleep while she was in there.” 

Marinette stared at Adrien, “You fell asleep while Lucie was in the shower?” 

He shrugged, unashamed, “She was in there for like 45 minutes and I was really tired.” 

“Did she seem upset at all by that?” 

“Well not when we woke up the next morning, but I don’t think she’ll hold it against me.” Adrien really did look unbothered by all of this, and she couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You didn’t even allow sex to be an option, did you?” 

Adrien gave a wicked smile, “Did you doubt me? Or was all that stuff about being reliable earlier only for the cameras?” 

She hit him playfully on the arm, “Oh I trusted you, I’m just surprised they didn’t try harder to get you into bed.” 

“Oh, they tried.” Adrien said, the smile slipping off of his face, “Juliette’s make-out session for the cameras was even more heated than ours because of how hard Juliette was trying.” Adrien sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “Lucie was much more focused on talking and ‘developing our relationship emotionally’” Adrien added the air quotes, “to be worried about the physical side.” Marinette wasn’t surprised, and was about to say so when Adrien cut her off. “I thought you didn’t want to hear any of the details from the other dates?” 

Now it was Marinette’s turn to shrug. “I thought I would be uncomfortable with the whole idea of it, but I trust you a lot and knew the details wouldn’t be too gory.” 

“Okay enough chitter chatter.” A new voice said, phasing through the wall that led to the outside. “The annoying people are gone and I’m hungry.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes at Plagg as Tikki flew out of the bathroom to join them as well. “Plagg be nice, this evening is about them, not us.” Tikki gave Marinette a reassuring pat on the cheek before dragging Plagg out of the room towards the kitchen. 

“I hate to say this, but we better follow them if there is even a hope of anything being left in that fridge.” Adrien sighed, pulling Marinette into a hug. 

She laughed, “That’s okay, let me change into something more comfortable and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Fifteen minutes later and the four of them were gathered around the kitchen’s island snacking on various things. Adrien had done well, making sure the fridge was well stocked with camembert and that the pantry had plenty of cookies for Tikki. 

“What’s bothering you?” Adrien asked. Marinette looked up from her plate to see that he was staring at her, clearly trying to read her mind and see if he could figure out what was wrong. 

“Well, nothing right now.” Marinette answered, keeping her voice light. 

“You know what I mean, you were very out of it at the start of the evening, and it was very obvious.” He paused for a moment, reading her expression. “What were you actually thinking about?” 

She took a deep breath, steadying herself and calming herself. She knew this conversation needed to happen, and she didn’t need to be unreasonably emotional about it. “I was just thinking about what we went through today, with the akuma, and what it felt like to have you frozen on me.” 

Adrien sighed, pushed away his plate, and turned his body so he was facing her, his knees brushing up against hers. “You know that I had no choice.” 

“Still,” she protested. “It was horrible, Adrien. I was disoriented and upset and stressed for a minute before I could get my bearings. I _flung the akuma across the city_ because I wasn’t thinking straight and needed her gone for a minute.” Her voice was climbing higher and she could feel panic and worry and emotion, all that she was trying to shut out earlier, building in her. “I couldn’t even figure out my lucky charm, between the dull senses and burning ache in my side—” 

“Wait,” Adrien put his hand on hers, cutting her off, “You were injured?” 

She shook her head, “It was you. The loss of you made it feel like some invisible chord had been ripped from my side and it hurt so much. It was the worst fight ever, and I’m grateful we weren’t being filmed.” 

Adrien squeezed her hand, effectively bringing her attention to him. “But, it all turned out alright. I would have never been able to defeat that akuma by myself. I knew your powers were much better suited for this akuma and that you would save me. I never lost faith in you, even in the split second I had to make that decision.” 

“I just felt on such a deep level today what it would feel like to lose you, and I just need you to know that I don’t _want_ to lose you.” She took a deep breath, and finally felt the tears that had been building up slip down her cheek. “Next time you have to do that, can you at least warn me first? Like look at me, push me out of the way, whisper it in my ear, heck, I’ll even take a shouted, ‘Sorry!’ as you’re being frozen, or dissolved or who knows what. I just desperately can’t go through that unprepared again. I’ll do the same for you, whenever the situation is reversed.” 

“Marinette,” he said, forcing her to look him in the eye. He gently moved his hand to wipe the tears off of her face and rested his hand against her cheek. “Next time, I’ll warn you. But just know, I won’t ever let you purposefully put yourself in harm’s way to save me. I would much rather be the one saving you.” 

“I want to save you too,” Marinette whispered. 

“Princess, you saved me today.” His voice was sweet, and the use of this nickname made her heart start to race in her chest. “Every time I save you from an akuma, you do the same for me. It’s a good system we have going.” 

“Just, promise me you’ll do what you can to _not_ do something like that. Push me out of the way with your stick or knock the akuma off their feet. I can’t have you do it on purpose all the time.” 

“I promise, I don’t want you to be in pain because of me.” 

Marinette let out a small sigh and rested her head on Adrien’s shoulder. 

“On a slightly related subject, what are we going to do now that all of Paris knows we’re dating?” Adrien asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. 

“I have no idea.” Marinette answered with a laugh.

\----------------------------------------------------

They talked for nearly three hours before finally making their way back to the bedroom. Adrien had convinced Tikki and Plagg to stay out in the living room area, and to hide as soon as the crew showed up to film them waking up. Adrien was finally able to change out of his swimsuit and Marinette was once again able to appreciate the beautiful work of art that was his chest. They were laying on the bed facing each other on their sides, Marinette drawing different shapes on his chest with her finger, and Adrien absentmindedly playing with Marinette’s hair.

“Have you thought about what we talked about at that patrol before fantasy suites started?” Adrien asked, his voice lower than it normally was. The sound of it sent shivers down her spine, and he pulled her closer to him. 

At first, she couldn’t remember what he was asking about, and then it all came flooding back. _Oh shit, he’s asking me if I’m comfortable having sex with him_. She stilled slightly as her mind went blank. She truthfully didn’t know what she wanted. 

Adrien must have sensed her stillness and taken that as a no, because he started shifting further away from her on the bed. 

“No no! Come back!” She whined, wrapping her arms around his torso and forcing him to stay close to her. She craved his touch too much for her to be separated from him right now. “I don’t know.” She admitted, burying her face in his chest so he couldn’t see the blush. 

“What don’t you know?” There was no judgement in his voice, just curiosity. 

“I love you, you know that. And I really _really_ liked where the kissing in the hot tub was going, but it just feels weird to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to it right now.” 

“I get that. I’m not going to make you do something that you aren’t comfortable with.” 

He was still patting her hair, and she pulled her head away from him so she could look him in the eye. “I know that. Can we just... pick up kind of where we left off earlier? We can just decide what’s going to happen in the moment.” 

Instead of answering, Adrien gently leaned down to make their lips touch. The kisses started out sweet, and Marinette moved herself up so she was closer to Adrien and he didn’t have to lean so far. She could feel a tiny roar start up in her stomach. It was something new, something exciting. This beast demanded that these kisses go deeper, grow stronger. Apparently, Adrien felt it too, because he picked up the pace at the same time as she did, and smoothly flipped himself on top of her. She could feel none of his weight, even though he knew she could take it. 

She gasped as he pulled away and began kissing down her jaw line. He made it to her earlobe and gave it a little tug. She moaned and his lips came crashing back on hers, this time, his tongue was slipping across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and met it with her own. The kiss deepened and deepened, and Marinette’s head was spinning with the need for air. 

When Adrien broke the kiss off, Marinette almost argued. “Are you sure?” He whispered his voice husky and wonderful. 

Instead of responding, Marinette just kissed him harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let you use your imagination as to what happens next :)


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey! Sorry for the slightly long hiatus, the holidays plus work made my life crazy! This chapter is shorter, but the end is coming quickly and this will get the ball rolling! Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you had a happy and safe start to the new year!

Adrien began to wake up the next morning at the same time he always does. He was about to roll over to check the time and see what was on his agenda today, when something stopped him from moving. Well, more like _someone_. Adrien looked down at the arms wrapped around him and the adorable scrunched up face of Marinette, who was starting to stir because of him, and was suddenly fully awake. All of the memories from last night came flooding back, and Adrien couldn’t help but smile. 

He leaned down and kissed Marinette softly on her forehead and gently removed himself from her embrace. He had made it through a whole shower, changed his clothes and styled his hair, and was finishing up brushing his teeth when Marinette, hair a mess and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, but as beautiful as ever stumbled into the bathroom. 

“Good morning, Bugaboo,” he said around his toothbrush. She grunted at him in response before doing a double take. He watched her eyes grow wide as she glanced around and seemed to remember where they were. He watched a slow blush form on her cheeks as she also remembered what conspired between them last night. She squeaked a small “Morning,” before running back into the bedroom. Adrien laughed and finished up in the bathroom before following her out. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring at him. “What?” he asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. 

“I don’t appreciate the ambush this early in the morning.” She grumbled, and Adrien let loose a laugh. 

“If I remember correctly, I was innocently brushing my teeth when you barged in on me, ma’am.” He replied as he sat beside her, close enough to touch, but not actually touching. 

She groaned and leaned sideways, plopping her head onto his shoulder. “Sometimes I wonder if mornings were a creation of Hawkmoth, because they feel like my own personal hell.” 

Adrien laughed again and hugged her closer to him, “Sorry, Bug, I’m pretty sure mornings have been around for longer than Hawkmoth. Can I make you some coffee to restart your morning while you get dressed for the cameras?” 

Adrien felt Marinette go stiff at the mention of the cameras, and quickly turned towards him, horrorstruck. “Oh my gosh, I completely forgot they were coming! How long do I have?” 

Adrien made a show of looking at his watch and thinking about the time, all the while, Marinette was almost vibrating with nerves. Finally, he smiled at her, “A little over an hour. I naturally wake up earlier in the mornings than I need to.” 

She sighed slightly and leaned forward to rest her head back on his shoulder. “Has anyone told you that you’re perfect.” 

“Not today, no.” He answered and earned a laugh and a playful hit. 

“Well, except for the waking up early thing, that’s a major flaw in your personality.” Marinette added as she stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She had shut the door as he murmured, “Blame that one on Gabriel,” and he was pretty sure she hadn’t actually heard him. Marinette did not need another reason to hate Gabriel. 

Adrien wandered into the kitchen to start that coffee and discover what they were supposed to eat for breakfast. It was a fruit and cheese tray that had been in the fridge. As he was pulling it out, he noticed that it was conveniently lacking camembert, but Adrien just piled some more fruit on to cover the missing cheese. 

Adrien was just pouring the coffee for the two of them when Marinette emerged. He smiled brighter when he saw her and she smiled as she sat down in front of the other cup of coffee. 

“You’re a blessing, Adrien Agreste.” She said, while fixing up her coffee. 

He just smiled back at her, at a loss for words. 

She blushed once more, “What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?” She asked playfully. 

He shook his head slightly, clearing himself out of his thoughts so he could properly answer her. “I was just appreciating how normal this feels.” 

She smiled shyly at him before taking a sip of her coffee. “It does feel like this is how it’s supposed to be, doesn’t it?” 

Instead of answering, he just took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. 

That was how the camera crew found them, sitting at the kitchen’s island, munching on the fruits and cheeses, sipping coffee, and holding hands. Adrien almost didn’t realize they were there until a producer asked him to go into the bedroom to interview privately. 

Before too long, they were filming their goodbyes and Adrien felt his heart break at watching Marinette get into a different car than him. He stood at the road watching the car drive her away until it was out of sight. He turned around to go back inside and found Mini-Natalie waiting for him with a list of things to do that day. He gave a heavy sigh and followed her to his car, wishing more than anything that he could have stayed in that little piece of heaven with Marinette a while longer.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was not ready for this rose ceremony. She knew the outcome and she knew that she wasn’t going to like it. She got ready methodically, not thinking about what she was putting on. They told her to be less formal than a cocktail party dress, so she had chosen a blush colored dress that fell to her knees with fluffy tulle. It had a high waist and a high neck and long sleeves made of a gossamer material, but all of that was insignificant knowing that Juliette was going home. The only thing that made it slightly better was knowing that there was one more week between her and an engagement to Adrien. Soon, this whole thing will be over and they can be in love with each other, and only each other. 

When she stepped out of the SUV, the first thing she noticed was the view. She was in a beautiful flower garden that must have been hidden somewhere in Paris. Besides the camera crew, there was no one else around, which was rare for Paris in the middle of the day. The sun shone perfectly off of the various colors that surrounded her and made her involuntarily smell the air, to see if it matched the wonderful view. 

The next thing she noticed was Chris Harrison waiting for her to walk towards him. 

“Good afternoon, Marinette. How was this week?” Chris asked, giving her the typical French greeting. 

“Wonderful, Chris. Having that alone time with Adrien without the cameras, that allowed us to ask each other all of the different questions that we’ve had, oh my, it was just great.” Marinette gushed, hoping she didn’t sound too cheesy. 

“What was your favorite part of the evening?” 

“Waking up next to Adrien the next morning,” Marinette answered, almost automatically. A slight blush grew on her cheeks and she let out a giggle, remembering her crazy reaction to finding Adrien in the bathroom. She really was _not_ a morning person. 

“Well, with that being said, how do you feel going into this rose ceremony?” 

Marinette sighed, reminded once again about why they were here. “I’m just hoping that Adrien cares as much for me as I do for him. Even if that means I’m sent home today, at least I had the opportunity to fall in love with the most wonderful guy there is.” 

Chris gave her an encouraging smile and held out his arm. She took it and allowed him to lead her further into the garden. He placed her next to Juliette, who had apparently arrived first, and facing a beautiful archway made of pink and white roses. 

Juliette reached out, took Marinette’s hand, and gave it a small squeeze. Juliette’s smile made her heart break slightly, but Marinette returned the smile genuinely and squeezed back. 

They waited only three minutes before Lucie arrived, but when Chris had placed her in her spot, he moved to the right of the archway and addressed them. 

“Ladies, hello. I hope you enjoyed the week and the extra time you all got to spend with Adrien. You know what’s on the line, you know what’s at stake here. The two women who receive roses will get to stay and continue a relationship with Adrien, but one of you will be on a plane, heading back home.” Everyone held their composure very well as Chris let that statement settle among them. “I wish you all the best, and if you’re ready, here’s our Bachelor.” 

Chris melted into the shadows once more as Adrien walked out from behind some plants that blocked the road from their spot. He placed himself under the beautiful archway, next to a podium made of stone only holding two roses. He glanced at the roses and then up at the three of them standing before him, and Marinette felt her heart break even more at the expression on his face. 

Adrien sighed and looked down at the roses once more, before looking every girl in the eye and addressing them as a whole. “You three ladies are absolutely wonderful. I am so lucky to have been able to meet each of you and gotten to know you over these past nine weeks. I began falling for all three of you for different reasons, but someone does have to go home today. And it’s hard because I have to do the most selfish thing I’ve ever done and break one of your hearts tonight.” Marinette noticed that Adrien was specifically avoiding Juliette’s gaze and she felt tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes. She hoped the camera wouldn’t notice, just this once. “I’m very grateful for you all taking a risk on me and joining me on this journey.” 

Adrien took another deep breath before reaching down and grabbing the first rose. He looked straight at Marinette with something that almost looked like dread in his eyes, before he swept his gaze over the others. “Lucie.” Marinette was only slightly conscious of Lucie walking up to Adrien to ask her to accept the rose. Once Lucie’s name was said, she heard Juliette gasp beside her. Marinette looked and noticed that she was tearing up as well. 

She grabbed Juliette’s hand once more, and she felt Juliette whisper, “No matter what, I’m rooting for you.” Marinette could only nod and squeeze her hand in response, afraid that if she opened her mouth, the tears would freely flow. Juliette gave her an understanding smile, and Marinette knew that the unspoken words were heard. 

Lucie was back in formation now and Adrien was watching the two of them. He reached down for the final rose and twisted it between his fingers, as if trying to decide what to do with it. Chris didn’t come out to announce the final rose, but he didn’t need to. 

“Marinette.” Adrien announced, and she felt Juliette give her hand one more squeeze before she let it go so Marinette could walk up to him. “Marinette, will you accept this rose?” 

Marinette nodded, still afraid to speak and gave him a hug. She wished it could have lasted longer, because the safety and security she felt in his arms gave her just enough strength to turn around and face Juliette one last time. 

Chris didn’t appear again, but as soon as Marinette was back in position, she held her arms out and gave Juliette a hug. “Thank you for everything.” Marinette whispered into her ear. Juliette squeezed back and whispered, “I’m so lucky I get to call you my friend,” before she turned and gave Lucie a quick hug as well. When they had finished, she turned and faced Adrien who asked, “Juliette, can I walk you out?” and she watched the two of them walk out towards the road, though there was no contact between them at all. 

Marinette took that time to dry her tears and compose herself once more. Lucie was doing a much better job with this, but she was kind enough to give Marinette a small hug to show she understood what she was going through. It was hard to be upset with Lucie when she was just so damn nice. 

Adrien came back a couple of minutes later, three champagne glasses in hand. He handed one to each of the girls and gave them a smile. “Congrats ladies. I cannot wait to see what next week has in store for us. This week is very important to me, because you both will be meeting my family.” Adrien sounded more like he was repeating lines he had memorized than words he actually meant. “It should be an exciting week, and I’m hopeful that by the end of this next week, one of you will have agreed to be my wife,” at that, they clinked their glasses together and took a sip. 

Someone soon called “Cut!” from somewhere amongst the production people and everyone scattered accordingly. Lucie gave Adrien a hug before he walked her to the car that would take the two of them home. When he came back to Marinette, he grabbed her hand and dragged her in the opposite direction of where the car was waiting. They were in a distant corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the shoot, before he turned around and faced Marinette, he was terrified and spoke very quickly. 

“Okay, I need to tell you this before the cameras catch wind of it all and blow it out of proportions.” He took a deep breath and made sure Marinette was fully focused on him before continuing. “My Father has decided to reject your movement into the next week and will not, under any circumstances, meet with you for the cameras this week.” 

Marinette blanched and felt her thoughts begin to spin. “What does that mean for the show? I’m still here, clearly, but what does that mean for us next week when I’m supposed to meet him?” 

Adrien gulped and looked more frightened than she had ever seen him. “It means he’s left me no choice. We’re going to have to fight him for control of the show.” He sighed and she could see how much he had been dreading this moment. “I’m going to have to break up with my father to be with the love of my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the beginning of the end! I'm almost finished writing the WHOLE STORY (eeek!!) and should have it all out to you before the end of the month! Thanks for hanging in with me friends!


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, guys, my life has been SuPeR hectic! I'm hoping to have the next chapter out soon though! Thank you so much for your constant support! You guys rock :-)

The jump to the mansion was exhilarating. Chat had forgotten how much freedom he felt while flying across the rooftops, especially with how trapped he’d been these past four days. Chat inadvertently flinched when he thought of all that he’d done since the last rose ceremony. 

The producers kept pressuring him to have dates and have Lucie meet his dad, but he couldn’t focus on anything besides the task at hand. He met with teams of lawyers, scoured through paperwork and legal documents relating to the show (and in the process he found out how much Chris Harrison was making... damn.) and anything else that could give him an edge over his father. Thankfully, he had it in with various employees at his father’s company, a plus side of being the nice-Agreste, and kept Gabriel busy and unaware of what Adrien was going through. 

But Adrien had had enough. He needed a break, a breath of fresh air that wasn’t just sitting down to eat. He needed to see Marinette, and it was a need that he couldn’t resist. 

That’s why, as Chat, of course, Adrien was running across the rooftops of Paris trying to remember which room Marinette slept in. Thankfully, Plagg remembered from the night of The Task and gently guided him towards the right window. Once he pushed open the window, however, he learned that Plagg’s guidance wasn’t necessary. Marinette was wide awake, staring at the window as if she had been expecting him. He dropped his transformation as soon as their eyes met and went to sit next to her on the bed, while Plagg joined Tikki off in the corner. 

“Why are you sitting here with the lights off?” Adrien blurted, feeling the pressure of the silence and needing to break it. 

Marinette, who’s gaze was locked on her lap, gave a small smile before responding, “Waiting for you, _Chaton_. I had a feeling you would come tonight.” 

Adrien gave a small smile and scooted closer to her so he could grab her hand. She twined his fingers with hers and he was able to appreciate how well they fit together. “Why so somber?” 

Marinette sighed, but still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “You know why. Just get it over with, okay?” 

Adrien blanched and glanced around the room for some sort of clue for what she was talking about. “What am I supposed to be doing?” He asked quietly, reaching out to stroke her cheek, but Marinette turned away. 

“I figured it out, okay? It’s been four days since the rose ceremony and nothing has happened. The producers have been whispering and prepping Lucie and completely ignoring me. I put the pieces together, and the only conclusion I came up with is that we’ve reached the end. Your dad won and I’m being forced out of the show.” She let out a shaky breath and finally turned to look at him head on. “I’m sorry you couldn’t find any leverage, or anything to blackmail your dad with, but at least you tried.” Marinette smiled a smile that was almost a grimace. 

But Adrien had stopped listening. 

“Marinette you’re brilliant!” He said confidently, reaching over to kiss her. When he pulled away, Marinette just looked stunned. And a little hurt. 

“Why do you sound so excited about that?” She asked in a small voice, but Adrien was already explaining his line of thinking to a newly curious Plagg and Tikki. 

“You see, we’ve been going about this the wrong way. I should have _known_ that Father is too organized about his formalities to leave any loopholes in the paperwork. I’ve been trying to work through this the _legal_ way. What we’ve been needing is the _illegal_.” 

Marinette stood up then, and Adrien turned towards her, expecting her to be celebrating with him. Instead, she was incredulous, and Adrien took an inadvertent step back. “Are you telling me, that for the past four days, while I’ve been packing and unpacking and trying to figure out how to say goodbye to you, you’ve been searching for a way to take down your Father LEGALLY?!” 

Adrien just shrugged, “What’s wrong with that?” 

Marinette let out a small chuckle, “Oh my innocent little Kitty,” before pulling Adrien into a hug. 

Adrien melted into her hug before her words registered in his mind. “Wait, why were you trying to say goodbye to me?” 

Marinette just laughed and pulled him in tighter, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

\----------------------------------------------------

The next day, Lucie was whisked off by the producers first thing in the morning, and Marinette was given a sealed note. She kindly thanked the producer before running off to her room to read it.

Marinette giggled with relief when read her instructions and was relieved that it was finally going down tonight. Inside the note was a list of things she needed to do, and was grateful that she would have the whole mansion to herself today. 

“Okay Tikki, I’ve done everything he asked. Do you really think this is going to work?” Marinette’s eyes were sparkling with excitement and thankfully, Tikki’s were too. 

“If everything goes as planned, then this should work flawlessly.” Marinette giggled at the idea. She could be _engaged_ to the love of her life _by the end of the week_. All that stood in her way was tonight. 

Marinette dressed in a pair of black pants and a black shirt and pulled her dark hair up into a messy bun, hiding it in the red ballcap that she had stolen. Besides her obviously feminine face, she looked exactly like an intern that had been itching to get behind a camera all season long. As long as no one looked too closely at her face, she was golden. 

Right after Lucie got back, Marinette snuck out. She found the band of producers that had taken Lucie home and followed them to what she could only assume was production headquarters. No one looked twice at her, but Marinette didn’t dare speak. The hardest test was yet to come. Once inside the hotel, which Marinette realized with a jolt was the same one that Adrien was staying in, she broke off and followed the map that had been delivered to her by Plagg. She followed the long hallway, and, after making a handful of turns, stopped at an unmarked door. She knocked confidently and counted to fifteen before the door opened. 

“What is it?” Gabriel Agreste asked glancing down at the red ballcap but not at her face. 

Marinette threw her voice an octave lower, “They want you for an interview in room three.” 

Marinette could still feel Gabriel’s eyes boring into her head, but she finally heard a swift “Fine,” before the door was closed and he started walking down the hall. Marinette smiled to herself and followed. 

“I don’t know why this wasn’t put on my schedule. You all have become sloppier as the show has gone along. I’m grateful this is almost over and I’ll never have to work with camera crews and ignorant producers ever again.” Gabriel snapped as they walked. Marinette just stayed silent, knowing that’s how most of the producers treated him anyway. 

When they arrived at the door, Marinette unlocked it, with a key that was also delivered (and most likely stolen) by Plagg earlier that day. She held the door open for Gabriel and quickly shut the door behind them before ducking behind the very large camera that had been set up in here. Someone had done a great job, as the room truly looking like an interview space. Marinette pretended to fiddle with the camera as Adrien, who was not disguised in any way, slipped into the shadows and shot her a wink. 

“Whenever you’re ready,” Marinette said, throwing her voice again. 

Gabriel frowned but started. “Meeting Lucie today was such an enlightening experience. She was such a pleasant girl and I truly hope that Adrien chooses her. She would be a wonderful addition to the family.” 

“Even though I don’t love her?” Adrien asked, stepping out from the shadows. 

Gabriel did a double take and put one hand to his forehead, as if he had a headache. “Adrien, what are you doing here?” 

“I’ve come to discuss something with you, Father.” 

“Can it wait?” Gabriel snapped, removing his hand from his face and gesturing to the camera, “I’m trying to get this interview over with.” 

“No. We’re talking now.” Adrien said firmly. 

Gabriel glanced at the camera and then back at his son. “Fine. Stop filming,” he instructed the camera before turning back to his son. “Speak.” 

“I’m through with the lies.” 

“What in the world are you talking—” 

“You know what I’m talking about! I’m done with lying to the cameras, to you... no, for you. This ends now.” 

Gabriel let out a humorless laugh. “Very funny, Adrien. Let’s go.” 

“No.” Adrien responded. “I’m serious. You have to butt out of my personal life.” 

“And I will, as soon as you and Lucie have been engaged for 6 months. By then the company merger will be final and you can break up with Lucie and marry that other girl—” 

“Marinette,” Adrien nearly growled her name and Marinette shivered behind the camera. 

“Yes, that one. Once you’ve done what I need you to, I will happily leave you alone. But for now, you’re mine.” Gabriel stood up and straightened his suit. “Now, we’re done here.” Marinette gently shifted the camera to follow Gabriel, slow enough to where he didn’t notice the movement.

“Sit.” Adrien commanded, but Gabriel ignored him. He was halfway to the door when, “Father, I’m quitting the company,” finally got his attention. 

Gabriel turned around slowly. “Excuse me?” 

“You heard me! I’m done. I refuse to be your perfect model son anymore. I’m going to get a degree in something I actually want to do and sue you for the use of my face. You’ll be out millions and a spokesperson. Plus, I doubt my lawyer would find it a good idea to still have you in my life, so you’d never get to see your son again.” 

“Why would you say something so—” 

“But,” Adrien cut him off, with a new sense of hope evident in his voice. “You can stay in my life. You can convince me to stay at the company. Under one condition.” 

There was a long pause. Adrien was standing tall and so sure of himself that Marinette beamed with pride. This was so much more than the boy who, in the beginning of the season, was hoodwinked into keeping Lila for eight weeks. He was standing tall with his head held high, and Marinette could finally see her wonderfully brave partner without the suit on. 

Finally, Gabriel replied, “What’s your condition?” 

Adrien breathed a small sigh of relief before replying, “Marinette.” 

“No—” 

“You’re not listening,” Adrien cut him off once more. “You have two choices. You either stay in my life and keep me in the company, but Marinette gets to be the winner. Or, you lose me, my face, and everything else and I still run off to marry Marinette without you and this stupid show.” 

“Is that all?” Gabriel asked sarcastically, and turned on his heels towards the door. 

“I wouldn’t if I were you. That camera has been filming the whole time and as soon as you walk out that door, I post this on the internet and ruin the show and your reputation.” 

Gabriel’s eyes shot a furious look at Marinette, who finally made eye contact, smiled and gave Gabriel a wave. Recognition crossed Gabriel’s face before he turned back towards Adrien. “If you think that you and your little _bitch_ will get away with this—” 

“We already have.” Adrien spat, anger coloring his voice. 

Marinette could see Gabriel working it out, looking for loopholes, something that could still get him everything he wanted. Slowly his face got redder and his eyes began to narrow as he realized he was cornered. Gabriel was about to open his mouth to speak, when Adrien cut him off again. 

“You know what? I’ve changed my conditions.” Adrien was still angry, and he slowly started stepping towards his father. “Not only will you butt out of my life on the show, but you’ll also train Marinette to take over your company. God knows it could use better leadership than what it has now and Marinette is perfect for that job.” 

Marinette let out a little gasp, which caused Gabriel to once again look at her. “You,” he hissed. “You’ve hoodwinked my son into handing over his fortune! You are just a little gold digger! I knew it was a mistake not to take care of you and your poisonous ambitions myself!” 

“Do not talk to her like that!” Adrien yelled at the same time that Marinette stepped out from behind the camera and yelled, “Why do you think so little of him?” 

Both Agreste men froze and stared at her. 

Marinette made eye contact with Adrien, who’s eyes were wide with shock. The look on his face broke her heart, but she turned to Gabriel, knowing she needed to get this off of her chest before they continued. 

“Why do you still treat Adrien like a child? He is a grown adult, who is smart, kind, polite, and so aware of his actions and the consequences they could have on you it’s insane. He only looks out for you and your company. He cares about this company even though he hates working for it, but he’s too nice to leave because he knows that if he does, there wouldn’t be a kind-hearted Agreste left to smooth over all of the problems you make with everyone. He is the first boy to notice me, my flaws, my mistakes, my over-thinking everything, and he still gets me. This sweet, amazing boy that you raised doesn’t care about his own dreams in life. If he can help me accomplish mine then he will drop everything to do so. I love him more than words could ever express, and I know that you’re too heartless to understand this, but Adrien could be poor, and dirty, and homeless, and have no visible benefit to me, and I would still choose him every day.” 

There was a long pause where both men just stared at Marinette. Adrien with tears in his eyes, and Gabriel quizzically. Finally, Adrien cleared his throat and addressed his father once more. 

“I’ve presented you with your options. Marinette deserves to run your company, and she deserves your respect. You’re free to leave, Father, just know that camera footage will be kept in a secret place until the show has finished filming.” 

Gabriel stared at Adrien for a long time before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. 

No one dared to breath for a solid minute. “That went better than I expected,” Plagg announced as he flew out of the corner where he had apparently been hiding. Tikki joined him and flew next to Marinette. “Are you okay?” She asked, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. 

Marinette just looked up at Adrien. “Why did you ask your father to make me the head of Gabriel fashion?” 

Adrien, who was beaming at her from ear to ear, just engulfed her in a hug, “Because no one else in this world is more deserving than you. Plus, I want to keep the company in the family, and this seemed like the best way to do it.” 

“We really did it, didn’t we?” Marinette breathed, resting her forehead on Adrien’s. 

“Yes, we really did.”

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette didn’t have much time to enjoy their success the next day, before the producers were grooming her for her “meet the family” date. Marinette didn’t know what to do, what to say, what to think about how Gabriel was going to react to this, but thankfully, Adrien knew her well.

“He’s going to behave.” Adrien reassured her on the phone minutes before she got out of the car to see him in person. This conversation was happening off the record. “I’ve talked to him since and he knows that in order to make this seem like a normal day filming the show that he’s going to have to act civilly.” 

“If you trust him, then I will.” Marinette whispered, aware of the producer who provided the phone sitting next to her. She was sure that he didn’t know what the phone call was specifically about. 

Adrien laughed, and even through the phone, the sound made her heart skip a couple of beats. “Oh, I don’t trust him. I just know that he’s very good at compartmentalizing, considering he’s done that with me my whole life. This date should seem completely normal to an observer.” 

“Understood.” Marinette turned towards the window, as the producer slowly started to lean closer to the phone. “I’ll see you soon.” 

“See you soon, Bugaboo.” 

Marinette handed the phone back to the producer and thanked him. He didn’t ask any questions. 

A couple of minutes later, Marinette was out of the car before it even fully came to a stop. She knew the cameras were watching her, but part of her didn’t care. They had defeated the big bad wolf, what was stopping her from diving into her new life with Adrien at her side? If they didn’t have to play by the rules, they would have already moved in together and started planning a wedding. Sadly, Lucie was still madly in love with Adrien, and no matter how much she loved him herself, she didn’t have it in her to hurt Lucie more than she already was going to be. 

She managed to walk towards Adrien calmly, smiling like an idiot and playing her role very well. _Thirty-six hours between us and forever_. Marinette could survive today. 

“Hey, beautiful,” Adrien said as Marinette got closer. He wrapped her up in a hug and he gently kissed her. When he pulled away, the smile on her face wasn’t faked. 

“I’ve missed you,” Marinette gushed, bouncing on her toes with excitement. Their time after Gabriel had left the night before was not long. They had enough time for words of encouragement before Marinette had to get back. Thankfully, Tikki helped her slip into her bed right as the first producer came looking for her, so no one noticed she was missing. She did have enough time this morning to give Lucie one last squeeze and for her to give a whispered “Good luck,” before Marinette was rushed out the door. 

“I’ve missed you too. Are you ready for today?” Adrien asked, casually taking her hand and leading her to a bench nearby. Marinette, who was just now becoming aware of their surroundings, realized they were at the _actual_ Agreste Mansion. She’s always been curious as to what lies beyond those gates, and today seemed to be the day she’d find out. 

Marinette breathed in a shaky breath, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Adrien gave her hand a squeeze, “They are going to love you.” 

“ _They?_ ” a strangled cry left her lips, but Adrien had already stood her up and was leading her for the main gate. Marinette was able to appreciate the grandness of the mansion once more before the gates opened and she was led down the long driveway towards the looming front doors. 

Funnily enough, the only thing that Marinette could think of while walking towards the mysterious people in her future family was how grand this place would look all dressed up for a ball. Like she was a princess in a movie, walking up to the castle for the first time. She could imagine the people in Victorian dresses and tall wigs and powdery make-up and a beautiful 25-piece orchestra playing the waltz as the doors slowly slid open, revealing the hidden prince. Her illusion shattered however when her real-life prince charming squeezed her hand one last time as he slowly pushed the mansion door open.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette had to admit, Gabriel really was being civil. As soon as they arrived Gabriel had been cordial, acting as though nothing major had happened between them in the past 24 hours. He addressed her directly and asked a couple of surface-level questions, and they were able to carry on in front of the cameras well.

Thankfully she was spared the one-on-one conversation with him, when Adrien’s bodyguard, who Adrien introduced as Gorilla, whisked her away first. They had a nice chat about Adrien, and she felt as though he was asking her more dad-like questions than Gabriel would have. “What are your intentions? What did your parents say to you about Adrien? Will you be comfortable adapting to Adrien’s lifestyle?” Marinette answered every one calmly and truthfully, hoping that the Gorilla accepted how much she really cared for him. 

After Gorilla came Natalie, who was stiff and clearly just there as a diversion so she wouldn’t have to talk with Gabriel. Although, right as Marinette was about to be taken away, Natalie cleared her throat and said, “Whatever he decides, I hope you love him enough for this to work,” and Marinette detected a hint of actual feelings in her statement. 

After Natalie, Marinette was preparing herself for Gabriel, when a different Agreste showed up. “I want to show you something,” Adrien whispered, grabbing her hand and leading her up the grand staircase in the main foyer. 

“Mr. Agreste, if you’re taking me away to take advantage of me, you should know that I know how to defend myself,” Marinette joked as they ran up the stairs. Adrien’s laughter almost gave them away as they slid into a room off of the hallway. 

The first thing Marinette noticed was the view. It was gorgeous. There were at least 6 sets of floor-to-ceiling windows that showed off all of the beauty of Paris in one glance. Once she tore her eyes away from the view, though, she was caught breathless again. It was clear this room had everything a little boy could have dreamed. From the latest video game console to the half pipe and basketball hoop on one side of the room, to the entire balcony full of what Marinette could only assume were movies or video games. But, there was also evidence in this room that a young adult had lived here as well. The desk took up almost the entire corner of the room, three times bigger than a normal desk, and on it was stacks of papers and textbooks, as well as three computer screens and a laptop. On the couch was some sort of science project that looked much too complicated for Marinette to understand. And standing right in front of the gigantic bed, looking abashed and red in the cheeks was the young adult himself. 

“Adrien this room is—”

“Too much, I know. It has evolved throughout my childhood and there is even a piano hidden out of sight that will appear at the touch of a button.” Marinette just felt her jaw drop, but Adrien continued as if nothing unusual had happened. “That’s not the reason I brought you up here, although I did want to show you a piece of my childhood.” Adrien grabbed her hand once again and walked her towards the crazy mess of a desk. He came to what seemed to be a random drawer, and pulled out something dark and square. “I want you to meet the most important person in my life.” Adrien said as he passed the object towards her. 

It was a picture frame, and inside of it was a woman. She was blonde and green-eyed like Adrien and absolutely stunning. Marinette could tell that the picture was slightly old, but it was a great picture, and only one person who this could be. “This is your mother,” Marinette told him, and he gave her a bright smile and nodded. “She looks just like you,” Marinette smiled, the love obvious in her voice, as her fingers caressed the glass. 

“I get that a lot.” Adrien beamed back. “I just didn’t think that my family would be complete if you didn’t at least see her before you left.” 

“Can you tell me about her?” Marinette asked, offering the picture frame back to him. 

“She was the most kind-hearted person I’ve ever met. She loved me more than anything else and brought the best out of everyone, including Father. He was happy when she was around, and he acted like a true father. She was pure light, and everyone who interacted with her could see that. She starred in a movie, right before she passed, and I watch it every year on the day she disappeared, so it feels like she’s there with me. Next year, you can watch it with me,” Marinette blushed and she was overwhelmed with love for this woman she had never met. But, if there was someone who could very clearly make such an outstanding impact on Adrien, Marinette couldn’t help but love them as well. 

“She sounds wonderful, Adrien.” Marinette pulled him into a hug and he squeezed her tight. 

“She was. I wish you could have met her, she would have loved you.” Marinette made a happy humming noise in response, and the two just stayed locked together for a moment. When Adrien started to pull away, he was smiling so sweetly that Marinette almost melted to the floor. He rested his forehead on hers and asked, “You wanna know how I know?” 

“Sure.” 

“You have similar energies. You both bring so much joy to those around you and put positive experiences out into the world. You never cause someone to be upset and if you do, you find a way to fix it, and she was just like that. She made friends with Audrey Bourgeois, for goodness sakes!” Both of them let out a giggle, although Marinette felt her eyes tearing up at his words. “But most of all, even without all of that stuff, she would have loved you because I love you. She would have seen the way I look at you and known and that would have been enough for you to be a good person in her book.” Marinette felt a tear slip down her cheek, but Adrien wiped it gently off her face. 

“Thank you for sharing her with me, Adrien.” Marinette said in a thick voice, feeling more tears threaten to slip out. 

“Always.” Adrien’s lips found hers and they shared a deep kiss for a moment, until a knock came at the door. 

“We’ve been discovered,” Adrien whispered, reluctance to walk away clear in his voice. 

“We better get it, we need to finish filming,” Marinette’s voice was a whisper too and he leaned down and kissed her one last time, before grabbing her hand once more and leading her towards the knocking and back downstairs.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! So I know this is kind of out of the blue, but I wanted to post a chapter to celebrate this story's anniversary! A year ago today I decided to take a chance and post my very first fic on here for all to read... and might I say you all have blown me away! I cannot believe how far this story has come and how much of a response it has generated! Thank you thank you thank for reading and commenting and sending kudos my way. They have encouraged me more than anything in this crazy year. <3
> 
> Only TWO chapters left! I'm so excited for you all to enjoy the epic conclusion! Beware though, there's a lot of fluffy sweetness in this chapter... you better brush your teeth when you're done reading ;-)

“Oh, good you’re back,” was Victoria’s friendly response as Marinette walked through the door of the mansion. Lucie was quickly summoned and Victoria tapped her handy-dandy clipboard officially. “I just wanted to sit down with you two to let you know what the next 3 days will look like.” 

“Three days?” Marinette blanched. She had thought that tomorrow was the day Adrien would propose. 

“I thought all we had left was the proposal!” Lucie added, clearly as shocked as Marinette. 

“No,” was Victoria’s answer, not even bothering to glance up from her clipboard. “You each have one more date with Adrien before he makes his final decision. Tomorrow, Marinette will go on her date, then Lucie will go on hers. Finally, Adrien will propose once he knows who he is going to pick. That could last as long as Adrien needs, but you will be alerted the day that it is happening.” Lucie and Marinette just looked at each other and both girls looked slightly fearful that the last leg of their journey could take so long. 

“Just so you two are aware,” Victoria continued, still completely unaware of anything except her clipboard. “professionals will be brought in to do your hair and make-up for the proposal, to make sure you are both looking your best for the final episode. From there, whoever Adrien chooses will reconnect with me for your next steps.” Victoria finally looked up and gave both girls a small smile. “That’s all for now. If there are any questions, ask one of the producers. Good luck, and I’ll see one of you in a couple of days.” 

Victoria stood up and left the two sitting on the couch alone. Both girls watched her walk away and then awkwardly made eye contact. 

“It’s okay, Marinette.” Lucie smiled, reaching over and giving Marinette’s hand a slight squeeze. “You have a date to prepare for tomorrow. I want to hear all about it tomorrow night!” Lucie smiled so genuinely at Marinette that she couldn’t help but reach over and give her a hug. 

“Thank you for being such a great friend,” Marinette said into Lucie’s shoulder. 

“The same to you.” After a beat, the girls broke apart, shared one more smile, before Marinette dashed up the stairs to pick out what she was going to wear for her last date with Adrien.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette woke up the next morning and was ready in record timing. Dressed in dark jeans, a maroon long sleeve sweater, and black booties, she dashed downstairs and waited in the Date Card room for a knock on the door. She was jittery and nervous and excited and ready for this whole thing to be over. Once again, she was incredibly grateful that she was on this inside of this charade and wasn’t stressing about whether she was going to be picked or not. She couldn’t even imagine what Lucie was going through right now. And how she could possibly stay this calm. 

Lucie’s calming presence was welcomed as Marinette waited for the car to come and take her to her date location. They chatted about the most random things, but Lucie never once looked nervous or worried or upset by the fact that Marinette was going on this date. She hoped beyond hope that once all of this was over, the two of them could remain on good terms. 

Finally, there was a knock at the door and Marinette jumped up to get it, saying a quick, “Tell you all about it later!” to Lucie as she dashed towards the noise. As she was walking towards the black SUV, she noticed that the clouds were gathering and looked like rain was coming. She hoped that whatever Adrien had planned for her wouldn’t be messed up if it did rain. She wanted to have the best, last TV date possible. 

The ride was short and Marinette was aware that they were headed towards the heart of Paris. They stopped in front of the Louvre, and there, leaning on a long, black umbrella and looking like a character from a movie, was Adrien. He was dressed in khakis and a white T-shirt, with a light jean jacket resting open over the shirt. 

She was so excited to see him that she ran and he grabbed her up in a hug. “Fancy meeting you here,” Adrien teased with a sly smile. Marinette threw her head back in a laugh, too excited to be there with him to be annoyed by the bad joke. “Glad to see you’re in a good mood today,” Adrien announced as he led her to a nearby bench. 

“What makes you say that?” Marinette scoffed, shooting him a wink. 

“Truthfully? You laughed at my joke.” 

Marinette laughed again, “I’m always in a good mood when I’m with you.” They were sitting now, and it didn’t take much for Adrien to lean forward for a chaste kiss. 

“Anyway,” Adrien said with a little bit of a voice break that made Marinette giggle, “I’m excited to do something slightly normal with you today.” 

“And what is that?” 

Adrien gave her a broad smile before responding, “Shopping.” 

And shop they did. Marinette and Adrien wandered to about 6 different stores, dodging in and out of the rain as it had started steadily coming down while they were in the first store. They spent their time picking out clothes for the other to try on, looking through fun decorations and antiques for their “future home,” and even stopped at a grocer’s. 

“May I ask why we are going grocery shopping?” Marinette asked as Adrien pulled her into their next stop. 

“Because,” was Adrien’s response. 

Marinette rolled her eyes and followed him through the front door. He pulled out a shopping list from his jacket pocket and Marinette quickly scanned what they were looking for. The list was short, and Marinette’s focus and determination to make quick work of their shopping kicked in and she started directing Adrien, who grabbed a basket and followed her lead. 

“Bacon, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken livers.” Marinette read off the list, checking to make sure each of those was in the basket as she said them. “Odd combination, but I trust you.” to which Adrien beamed. 

After Adrien paid for their groceries, and an awkward moment where the cashier recognized Adrien from a magazine and got very excited, the two passed the groceries off to the awaiting producer. 

“But I thought we were going to do something with those?” Marinette asked as she once again got pulled along the street by Adrien. 

“In due time, my dear. We have one more stop to make before we get there.” The best part about the rain was that it gave her the perfect excuse to cuddle close to Adrien as they walked so she could remain underneath his umbrella. 

After a couple of minutes, they stopped at a park that Marinette knew all too well. Many memories flooded her as she looked out at the carousel. Marinette smiled, remembering one of the very first fights they had with Stormy Weather that led to Manon and Alya being trapped in that same carousel. Adrien walked up and nodded to the attendant, who let the two of them on. “Pick your loyal steed, milady,” Adrien said as he put his umbrella on the bench right behind them. 

“Where is everyone else?” Marinette asked as she climbed on a white and pink horse that she was fairly certain had used to be a unicorn. 

“We have the whole place to ourselves,” Adrien replied, climbing onto the jet-black horse beside hers. 

She felt like a little kid again, riding around. After the first rotation, a producer followed the carousel around and told them that they needed shots of them kissing around the horses and on the bench and kind of just everywhere. Adrien, always the gentlemen, helped Marinette down from her horse. She turned towards him to ask him where they wanted to start, but Adrien grabbed her waist with his left arm and lifted their joined right hands together and started waltzing her around the carousel. They danced in a circle, weaving their way through the horses and benches, Marinette laughing the whole way. 

“How do you know how to do this?” Marinette asked as he spun her around the bench that was holding his umbrella. They had made it around the entire circle without Marinette falling. He must have been some sort of wizard dancer. 

“My Father made sure I knew exactly how to properly dance at certain functions. Can’t have the heir to the Agreste company making a fool of himself on the dance floor.” Adrien answered, his tone only slightly bitter. 

They had stopped dancing, and Marinette took that time to lean in and kiss Adrien, knowing that the producers must have been dying for that to happen. Adrien tilted his head to deepen the kiss and Marinette melted into him. When they finally broke for air, Marinette whispered, “Remind me to thank your father for those dance lessons.” 

Adrien let out a genuine laugh, and then guided the two of them onto the umbrella-bench. There, they kissed some more as the carousel made another rotation. 

Or two.

Eventually, the carousel came to a stop and the two of them broke apart once more. Adrien helped Marinette off the platform and they began walking hand in hand towards the park exit. 

“Are you ready for the last part of our date today?” Adrien asked, a twinkle in his eye once more. Marinette’s heart sank when she realized it was getting kind of late, meaning their time together was almost over. 

“What did you have in mind?” She answered, trying to keep any of the disappointment she felt for the end of their day taint her voice. 

Instead of answering her, they just kept walking. Marinette enjoyed the silence and took in the beautiful sunset as they walked to their secret destination. If she blocked out the noise of the producers walking with all of their equipment behind her, she could see her future. Just Adrien and her, living their lives in the beautiful city of Paris. 

They stopped at an upscale apartment building, and Marinette looked over at Adrien, even more confused. Adrien smiled at her and winked. He said hello to the doorman, who welcomed them in as if this was completely normal. They sneakily got an elevator all to themselves, and before Adrien hit a button, he turned to her with a smile. 

“I’ve been keeping a secret from you.” 

Marinette just rolled her eyes, “Clearly.” 

“I acquired this apartment about six months before the show started. I wanted to have a place of my own where I could escape my Father and just try to figure out how to be an adult that lives on their own. If you’re willing, I’d love for you to move in with me after we’re engaged. Just until the wedding, and then we can find a house of our own that we can pick out together.” 

Marinette felt her jaw drop, and had no idea what to say. Adrien smiled sweetly and pressed the button for the 12th floor. 

Before Marinette could find any words, Adrien continued talking. “I’m going to give you the grand tour before the cameras make it upstairs, but just let me know what you honestly think about the space, you know, once the cameras leave. I want to make sure you’re comfortable with it before we go forward with anything.” 

The elevator dinged and Marinette couldn’t help but smile, as Adrien led her down the hallway. He really was the most perfect person. 

Adrien slipped out some keys from his ever-handy pockets and unlocked number 1214. “Welcome to my home.” Adrien whispered as he pushed the door open. 

Marinette once again felt her jaw drop. It was an open-concept living room, with the kitchen directly to her right and the dining room to her left. The living room had a comfortable looking couch and very large TV mounted onto the wall over the fireplace. To her left were three doors, which Adrien labeled as the bedroom, a bathroom, and a storage closet. “There’s another bathroom attached to the master, and a spare bedroom to the right.” Adrien announced as he put his keys in a bowl on the counter and walked towards the oven. “I was thinking we could share the spare bedroom as a sort of joint office space, where you could design and sew and I can work on all of the paperwork.” 

Before anything else could be said, a producer walked right into the apartment, with no hesitation and turned towards Adrien. “You should have waited for us.” 

Adrien shot him a smile, “I promise you didn’t miss much.” 

The producer sighed, “Groceries are either in the fridge or in the first cabinet. Please don’t start cooking until all of the cameras and sound equipment is set up.” 

Marinette moved into the kitchen with Adrien as he found the groceries and started laying them out onto the counter. “So that’s your big date idea?” She asked, reaching for the bag of mushrooms and bumping Adrien’s arm along the way. “Cooking dinner together? Or did you just want to show off your fancy apartment?” 

Adrien spun towards her, “You don’t like it?” The look of pure worry on his face was adorable. 

Marinette let out a light laugh, “Adrien, it’s perfect.” 

She watched him visibly relax and then pull her into a hug. 

“Hey!” Someone yelled, and the two of them turned, without letting go, to look at who had shouted. One of the producers was staring daggers at the two of them, “Save all of the lovey-dovey stuff for the cameras! We need the footage!” Marinette and Adrien just laughed.

\----------------------------------------------------

After they were finished eating and cleaning, the two had curled up on the couch, with the electric fire blazing. They had made coq au vin, and while it was finishing up in the oven, Marinette raided Adrien’s pantry (which needed a lot of help) and found just enough ingredients for the two to have some chocolate chip cookies as dessert. 

“Those were the best cookies I’ve ever tasted,” Adrien said, after finishing off his fourth. 

“My parents swear by the fact that homemade is always better.” 

“Well no wonder they are so successful. If all of their baked goods taste like either the bread we made or these cookies, they have to be the best bakery in Paris, if not all of France!” 

Marinette laughed, “I think you may be a little biased.” 

“So what if I am?” Adrien shrugged. He was lazily drawing shapes on the back of Marinette’s hand, and she was so comfortable that she felt like she could have fallen asleep right then and there. 

“Can you imagine, life after the show?” Marinette asked. 

“I have a feeling it would be just like this.” Adrien whispered before planting a kiss in her hair. 

“I’m serious though. By the end of this week, we could be engaged.” 

“That sounds weird doesn’t it?” 

Marinette just nodded, a smile spreading across her face. 

“Why are you smiling?” 

Marinette busted out laughing as she turned to look at him, “What do you mean ‘why am I smiling?’” 

Adrien cheeks turned a little pink as he clarified, “What are you thinking about?” 

Marinette sighed, “How I can finally see the end.” She paused, but Adrien waited for her to continue. “I feel like this whole time it’s been, ‘I just have to make it to next week,’ or ‘I’ll get more time with Adrien if I can make it to hometowns, or fantasy suite,’ or whatever the next milestone on the show was. For the first time since we started, I can finally see the end. I can see the two of us cooking dinner like we did tonight, or shopping, or working, basically just living our everyday lives, together.” 

Adrien leaned in, but still didn’t say anything, so Marinette filled the silence. “You have shown me a new love, something I’ve never felt before. I feel like I’ve lived my 22 years just for us to find each other in this moment. And I know, somewhere in my brain, that there’s another girl still here and that you could totally not pick me,” Marinette sat up out of Adrien’s arms, the words she was saying building unnecessary worry and fear in her. But they needed to be said for the charade. “But, Adrien, please know that I love you. And if you pick me, I will continue to love you until death do us part. But even if you don’t pick me, know that I’ll support your decision.” 

She started to feel a little choked up, and hoped the camera could tell. Adrien heard it too as she watched his eyes widen and he straightened up on the couch as well. “I trust your judgement, and if for some crazy reason, I’m not the one, I’ll respect you even more for having to do the hard thing here.” 

Instead of answering, Adrien leaned in and kissed her, hard. When they broke apart, she was out of breath. Adrien took both of her hands in his and looked her dead in the eye. “I need you to know that when I’m with you, I’m with nobody else. With you, our relationship is so easy. I sometimes forget that we are even being recorded, because everything is just so natural and perfect. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I need you to know that my feelings for you are very strong.” 

With that the two of them relaxed back into their earlier position, and Marinette couldn’t help but smile. 

“That’s all we need for today.” A producer cut in, making both Adrien and Marinette jump. “We’ll give you two a couple of minutes before we take Marinette back to the mansion.” The two stayed silent as the people around them packed up their stuff and left. 

When the last one was out the door, Adrien turned towards Marinette, “Do you really like the apartment?” 

“Adrien,” she cupped his cheek with her hand, “It’s perfect. I’m honestly so touched that you’ve thought so far ahead to our future, and I adore everything about it.” She paused, soaking in his smile and reciprocating with one of her own. “Although, you could use a woman’s touch in your decorating style, it’s very bland,” to which Adrien just laughed. 

“Once all of your stuff is moved in, the place is yours to do with as you please.” They shared one more chaste kiss before there was a knock at the door. 

“I think that’s my cue,” Marinette whispered as she began to get up from the couch. 

“Do you have to go?” Adrien asked in a whiney voice that made Marinette smile. 

“I’ll see you soon, I promise. But if I don’t leave now, some people are going to get suspicious.” 

“Who cares what they think?” Adrien asked as he stood up from the couch. 

“Hate to point this out, but you kind of do, Mr. Star-of-the-Show.” 

He sighed in defeat, “You’re right.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “But, the next time I see you, I’ll be getting down on one knee, and you’ll be walking away with a new piece of jewelry.” 

Marinette melted at the idea and felt a light blush dust her cheeks as her heartbeat accelerated. “I can’t wait.” 

They kissed one more time before another, more aggressive knock came at the door. 

“Goodnight, Kitty,” Marinette whispered solemnly, reaching the door with Adrien on her heels. 

“Goodnight, Mrs. Agreste,” he purred, and it took everything in her power to turn the doorknob and walk out of that apartment.

\----------------------------------------------------

Adrien was not looking forward to this day. 

And yet it was going to be one of the best days of his life. 

He went through that morning in a haze. He was vaguely aware of the camera crew, documenting almost every step in his daily routine. He chatted for a long time, telling the producers about how hard it was going to be to pick between these two wonderful women that had stolen his heart. 

But he knew what he had to do, and he knew that by sundown, Marinette would be his fiancée. 

It was seriously going to be the best day of his life. 

As he was in the car, riding to the proposal spot, he tried to compose what he was going to say to Lucie. Honestly, if his Father hadn’t been involved in choosing her, she most likely would have been in Adrien’s Top 3. She was such a sweet person and was fun to be around. The worst experience he had was with her family, but he knew that was his Father’s doing as well. He really hoped he could end it with her and still allow for a chance to be friends, or at least acquaintances. 

Adrien thanked his driver as he began the long walk from the road to the spot. The producers had picked this spot, on the outskirts of the city, very hidden from view, and nowhere someone could wander by accident strategically. Apparently, shopping with Marinette had caused more of a buzz around the city than any of his other dates had (Adrien blamed the grocery store clerk who recognized him). Thankfully, no one had been able to identify Marinette, but they were very aware of the fact that Adrien was currently filming the show, and now everyone wanted a cameo. 

Adrien just wanted these last moments to be private. 

When he made it to the spot, which was decorated with various stones, plants, flowers, and other things that were slightly supposed to resemble nature, he stood there, wondering what was next for barely a minute before Chris approached him, another man following close behind. 

“Good afternoon, Adrien. How are you feeling?” Chris asked as he shook Adrien’s hand. 

“I’m great, Chris. I think I’ve come to a decision, and I’m hoping that it’s going to be the right one that becomes my bride.” 

Chris smiled and nodded encouragingly, “I actually brought someone along to help you finish up this journey,” he vaguely gestured to the man behind him, who stepped up and shook Adrien’s hand as well. 

“Mr. Agreste,” Adrien smiled gently at him as he continued. “I am here, on behalf of Baunat Paris. I have brought a selection of rings for you to choose from for your future bride.” The man flipped around a briefcase to where Adrien could see the front clasps, and opened it. 

Adrien felt his jaw drop as he took in the beautiful selection before him. Having very little experience in this kind of jewelry, Adrien was having trouble processing. As he scanned through the rings, hoping that one would just stick out, his breath caught as he spotted the perfect ring. 

He picked it up, his face lighting up and his pulse quickening with excitement. “This is the one.” 

“Are you sure? You barely looked at half of the collection.” Chris was quizzical, but the man smiled knowingly, in a kind way that suggested he wasn’t surprised Adrien was taken by this one. 

“Oh, I’m sure.” 

Adrien received a ring box for it, and the man said that he would send a bill. Adrien didn’t care how much it cost, Marinette was worth it all. 

“Three-minutes until Lucie’s arrival,” was announced by someone and Adrien stuffed the ring in his coat pocket. He felt his stomach sink as he realized he was about to break one last heart, and this one would hurt her the worst. 

The three minutes flew by, and before long, Chris Harrison was walking Lucie to him. He took deep breaths, knowing exactly what he needed to say. For the first time that day, he felt Plagg’s presence in his pocket. As he purred, Adrien was once again reminded that even though this part wasn’t fun, he was making the right decision. 

Adrien had to admit it, Lucie looked stunning. She was wearing a dark purple, silk dress, a color not many had worn this season, and it complimented her skin tone and hair wonderfully. It had spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline and it flowed all the way down to the ground. To top it all off, she was beaming at him, and Adrien forced himself to smile back as best as he could. 

As she got close enough for hearing range, Adrien took a step forward to greet her, “Hi.” 

“Hey,” she giggled as she leaned in for a hug. 

“You look amazing,” he gushed as she pulled away and she blushed slightly, beaming even brighter now. 

“Thank you! How have you been?” She sounded so sincere that his heart cracked a little. 

“I’m doing good. It’s been a hard, long day of thinking.” Adrien answered, as he positioned her exactly where the producers had told her to. Once they were in position, he took a deep breath and smiled gently at her. She never let go of his hands, and he let them rest comfortably between the two of them. He paused for a minute, working himself up to say what needed to be said. As he was opening his mouth, she cut him off. 

“Before you say anything, I want you to know this has been the most incredible journey I have ever been on. You are such a wonderful person, and I’ve felt more comfortable around you than I ever have around a guy before. I wouldn’t take back any minute of it.” She gave both of his hands a gentle squeeze, and he felt his heart contract. Was he a mean enough person to be able to go through with this? 

“What I have loved about you is that it has always felt real,” Adrien started, hoping she wouldn’t cut him off again. Once he got going, he couldn’t stop or he would never say the words that led to his future. “You’ve always shown me your genuine self and have locked me into your world, and honestly, I love being in your world. You are amazing in so many ways, and I have loved getting to know all of those different sides of you. You are going to accomplish wonderous things in this world, and I can’t wait to see you achieve all that you’ve dreamed of.” Adrien took in a slow breath, letting it sigh on the way out. _You can do this, you can do this_. “But, I’m going to have to watch you achieve them from afar.” 

Adrien heard the sharp intake of breath as she dropped his hands, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he was grateful that Lucie wasn’t crying. Her smile had dropped as she realized what he was saying, but he continued before he could say anything. “It hurts so much to have to say goodbye to you,” Adrien started, his voice cracking involuntarily. “And I wish I had good reasons to have to, other than that I’m in love with somebody else.” 

Lucie was gently shaking her head. “I guess I understand,” she whispered, not meeting his eyes. “Marinette is amazing, so I get why, but it... it hurts.” She sniffed and Adrien automatically grabbed the pocket square out of his coat and handed it to her. She took it without hesitation and Adrien took that as a good sign. 

“You are going to make the right boy very happy one day, and I’m very sorry it couldn’t have been me. I can’t wait to cheer you on, though.” Lucie looked up then, and Adrien saw a small smile form on her lips. “Can I walk you out?” Adrien asked softly. She gave a slight nod, and Adrien took her hand and began leading her up the pathway. They walked in silence, and he could tell that she was crying now. 

When they made it to the car, she turned towards him one last time, giving Adrien a braver smile than he would have thought possible for the circumstance. “Thank you, for letting me close.” She whispered. She leaned forward and gave him one last kiss on the cheek before getting into the black SUV. 

As she shut the door and the car began to move, Adrien felt his heavy heart grow slightly lighter. The hard part of his day was over. Next, came the fun part.

\----------------------------------------------------

Marinette was nervous. This was her dream come true, and it was going to be filmed for the whole world to see. She just hoped she wouldn’t make a fool of herself in her shining moment before sealing her fate with the love of her life. In the spotlight. Forever and ever. 

Marinette let out a small sigh as the car continued to take her to this mystery engagement spot. The morning was a blur, a long interview where they asked her all of the questions they could before sending her off to hair and make-up. There, she got completely made over, and honestly, she felt like a princess. It didn’t help that the dress she picked was very princess-like as well. It was a striking red, which she knew from personal experience was a good color on her (very thankful that she had the ladybug miraculous and not the fox, orange is not the shade for her). It had an A-line neckline and sleeves that were a little thick, but slightly off the shoulder. The bodice was fitted until her hips and covered in jewels. From the hips, the dressed poofed out, with at least 4 layers of tool to give the dress the fluff. Her favorite part, however, were the intricate jeweled designs on the skirt of the dress. They were just the perfect amount of shimmer on the otherwise plain silk fabric. No matter which way she turned, she shined. 

The car finally stopped, and waiting for her on the sidewalk was Chris Harrison. 

“Good afternoon, Marinette.” Chris said with a smile, offering her his arm, which she took. 

“Hello, Chris.” 

“You look stunning today, if I do say so myself.” 

“Thank you. I wanted to leave a good last impression, no matter which way Adrien decides.” 

“Good thinking.” 

They were silent the rest of the way, and Marinette was getting antsy. She felt like they were moving at a snail’s pace, where she just wanted to sprint over the finish line. 

Finally, they rounded a corner and a smile broke across her face. 

There was Adrien, waiting for her. For the first time since the day, really since the competition started, it truly sunk in that she was getting engaged. She was going to be married! She was so focused on Adrien that she almost hadn’t heard Chris Harrison. 

“Adrien’s waiting for you,” he had said as he was letting go of her arm. She just barely fit in a “Thank you,” before he was out of earshot and out of sight. 

She made her way to Adrien, her excitement hard to hold back now that she was free to walk at her own speed. But, she kept her cool and didn’t break out into a full-on run. 

He took a step towards her and she embraced him. “Hey, Marinette,” he said, the laugh in his voice obvious. 

“Hey, how are you?” 

“Better now that you’re here,” the cheeky Chat line made Marinette giggle as Adrien moved them further onto the area that had been set out for them. Once he was happy with where they were, he took Marinette’s other hand and gave her a gentle smile. 

“On our very first date, I started falling for you,” he started, and Marinette felt her heart speed up at his words. “From that fashion show date, to our rainy-day shopping trip, and meeting your parents and all of the stuff in between, has made this a crazy ride. I came into this hopeful, but not 100% sure that I would find love, find the person I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. But, as I spent more time with you, it became apparent to me that you were exactly what I was looking for. But more than that, you are exactly what I need. You are my other half, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I truly feel in my heart of hearts that you were made to be by my side, and I yours. You make me happier than I’ve ever felt in my entire life, and I don’t ever want to have to say goodbye to you. 

“With that all being said,” Adrien dropped her hands and pulled something out of his pocket as he knelt down on one knee. “Marinette, I love you with everything I am. Will you please, make me the happiest man on earth, and become my wife?” 

When he opened the ring box is when Marinette started crying. The ring was small for Agreste standards, only three stones in a straight line, but she loved the simplicity of it. The middle and most prominent stone was a beautiful red ruby. The stone to its right was a black diamond, and on its left was a white diamond. It was her Ladybug colors and it was perfect. Through her tears she just nodded, and Adrien took out the ring, and slipped it on her left ring finger. 

He stood and pulled her into an embrace, and she kissed him like there was no tomorrow. When they did break a part, the producers asked them to look into the camera and announce what had just happened. The two shared a look before looking into the camera. 

“WE’RE ENGAGED!” they yelled, the excitement she’s been feeling for weeks, ever since Adrien _finally_ figured out that she was Ladybug, came bursting through, and the two of them were screaming and laughing and just excited that this day had finally come. 

“Congratulations, Mrs. Agreste. I can’t wait to become your family.” Adrien whispered as he pulled her close. Marinette rested her left hand on his cheek, and she felt him lean into it. 

“Oh Kitty, you already are.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone (for the last time!) This is the LAST CHAPTER and then the Epilogue! It's kind of a long one but I promise it's totally worth it! <3

Six Months Later

Marinette was walking home from the grocery store when her phone rang. Checking out the caller ID, she quickly answered. 

“Papa! I already told you that we’ll be at your house promptly at 5:30 tonight!” Marinette sighed into the phone as her father went off, just reminding Marinette of the precautions her and Adrien needed to take as they traveled throughout the city. Marinette hummed and replied generally where needed, knowing her Papa was just going to continue on. 

Marinette was fully aware of the precautions she needed to take, her whole family been dealing with crazy fans and excited viewers for almost six weeks now. Someone had made the connection between Marinette and the Dupain-Cheng Bakery soon after the first episode premiered. Business had been booming, and crazy fans would find Marinette in the street, pledging their loyalty to her and some even saying she needed to find a better person than Adrien. Marinette had been able to connect with all of the girls involved in the show through social media except Lila, who refused to acknowledge any of them. The other girls, especially the ones who made it far like Juliette, and Lucie, had been dealing with similar situations in their hometowns as well. 

Thankfully, Adrien was steadily by her side, even if they couldn’t be in public together. After the first incident with people surrounding her on the street, Marinette had broken down crying in their apartment, and Adrien had built her up and talked with her about similar experiences he had been through, as well as what to do about it in the future. Marinette had been cheating slightly, travelling more as Ladybug than she had in her daily life before the show. 

Hometowns were airing tonight, and with that meant even more press for the Dupain-Cheng Bakery and even more attention on Marinette. Adrien and Marinette always had dinner before the Bachelor shows started airing because her parents wanted to know everything that went down that week before they watched the edited version, and so there wouldn’t be any surprises for them.

“Papa, I promise that Adrien and I will be careful, I really have to go now, I’m almost to the apartment.” Marinette and her father said their goodbyes before she ended the phone call. The doorman, who smiled sweetly and tipped his hat at her as she neared, opened the door for her and she quickly rushed into the elevator and up to her floor. 

Living with Adrien was a dream. They just fit so well into each other’s lives and it made the transition to living together easy. Adrien had just finished converting the extra bedroom into a design space/office for the two to share, and it was perfect and convenient. Adrien had been forced to work from home since the show started airing, only leaving the apartment for important business meetings that never took place at Gabriel’s offices. Too many people knew where to find Adrien on a daily basis, so Adrien’s security team thought it was too dangerous to go to that building. And Marinette was inclined to agree. 

If Marinette had it bad, Adrien had it worse. There were adoring fans, begging him to consider them, angry fans, demanding to know why their favorites went home, and even the crazy ones, wanting to just be near him and breathe the same air as him, but those were no different from his model days, just older than before. Adrien never let them bother him, and he has also taken to travelling more as Chat Noir, who at the moment seemed less famous than his alter ego, and was able to get from place to place safely. 

As Marinette unlocked their door, she felt herself relax. No one had found their apartment yet, but Marinette had a feeling it was just a matter of time. Thankfully, she knew that all of the locations for shooting, unless specifically chosen for brand purposes, were kept secret and edited out of the show. Which meant that no one could find the mansion, nor more importantly, the apartment she was currently in. 

“Adrien?” she called as she placed her keys in the bowl by the door, the one grocery bag she had on the counter next to it, and hung her coat up on the rack. She was just slipping her shoes off as she heard footsteps approach, and a smile spread across her face. 

“Welcome home, beautiful,” Adrien said as he pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into the embrace and a feeling of home settled over her. It didn’t matter where she lived, if Adrien was by her side, she would be home. 

“How was your day?” Marinette asked, moving to unpack the groceries and put them away. Adrien followed her into the kitchen, not really letting go of her waist. 

“Ugh it was long. Who knew rebranding would be so crazy difficult! The paperwork is horrible, as well as the physical part of rebranding.” 

“It would be easier if you weren’t doing the rebranding in secret, and your father wasn’t causing so much trouble about it.” 

Adrien finally let go of Marinette and plopped down on a stool that was positioned at the end of the counter. “You think he would just accept the fact that this was happening and move on. He’s not going to involve a courtroom because he knows they would side with me. But it’s not like I’m changing the brand dramatically! It’s going from ‘Gabriel’ to ‘Agreste!’ It’s still his name! It just makes more sense that when we’re running the company we aren’t running a company named after someone who retired unpeacefully.” Adrien groaned again as he ran his hand along his face. “I’m sorry, I probably sound like a broken record. We’ve had this conversation before. Tell me about your day.” 

Marinette smiled and gently placed her hand on top of Adrien’s. “I will happily listen to the events of your day every day, even if that means I get to hear the same stuff. Whatever bothers you I want to hear about it every time.” Adrien smiled and flipped his hand over to give hers a squeeze. “Anyway, you asked about my day. Well, Papa called me twice today, determined to make sure I didn’t forget what time we are supposed to be at their house. I think he’s nervous about what this episode is going to do to the bakery.” 

“If it’s anything like what’s happening to Gabriel’s, he should be pleased with the results.” Business had been booming since the show aired. Everyone was dying to wear whatever the beautiful girls that were fighting for Adrien’s heart were wearing. 

“He figures as much, he’s just worried about the extra workload that it’s going to put on them. They’ve already hired three new employees just to brace themselves for the impact.” 

“They sound very well prepared though, and that’s half the battle.” 

“That’s what I’ve been telling them!” Marinette interjected exasperatedly. 

There was a pause where Marinette, still thinking about her parents, had zoned out into her own world. “Is that all that happened in your day today, love?” Adrien asked sweetly, squeezing her hand gently. 

She snapped out of her daze and blushed. “No! Today was good. We started working on the new designs for the spring and I’m really excited. Especially considering my name will actually be on those designs since I’ll have publicly begun working at Gabriel by then.” Marinette paused once more, racking her brain for anything else that had happened today when she nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement. “Oh my gosh! I completely forgot to tell you! I saw my wedding dress this morning before work!” 

Adrien beamed and his eyes glazed over like he did every time he was proud of her. “How amazing was it?” 

“Oh, Adrien, it’s everything I ever dreamed it would be! I know I designed it and everything, but I was blown away when I actually got to see it in person. Maman and Alya both cried too.” 

“And you’re sure you won’t let me see even the designs for this amazing piece of art you created?” A playful tone had colored his voice and Marinette felt her heartbeat quicken. 

“You know the rules. No peeking until the day of the wedding, as I’m walking down the aisle.” 

“Not even if I gave you a little something in return?” Adrien purred as a smirk spread across his face. He leaned towards her, and Marinette almost forgot how to breathe. She loved this man with every fiber of her being, and yet he would do something seductive like that and she would pause, thinking, _Is this real? Does he really love me as much as I love him?_ And he showed her all the time, through his actions and words alike, that he really did. 

Their lips met in a rough way and Marinette felt the fire in her gut heat up in response to Adrien. She leaned in closer, parting their lips and deepening the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer than they had been a moment before. Marinette’s hands were tangling themselves in Adrien’s hair and she was just about to ask to take this to the bedroom when her phone rang. 

The two jumped apart and Marinette quickly answered, trying to keep her heart rate down and her breathing steady. 

“Hey Alya, what’s up?” 

“We’re still invited tonight, correct? Because if I calculated correctly, I’m in this episode, which makes it automatically the best,” Alya asked, the city loud in the background of the call. 

“Of course. You know that if Adrien doesn’t see Nino at least once a week, he’ll keel over and die of heartbreak.” Marinette joked. Both her and Alya laughed as Adrien let out a defensive, “Hey!” which caused the two girls to laugh even more. 

“Oh well, we can’t let Sunshine’s heart break.” Alya responded, specifically using the nickname that she knew Adrien hated. Alya claimed that between Adrien’s bright blonde hair and his constant positive disposition that he was more sunshine than human. Marinette found it very appropriate, however, Adrien thought it was too high of a compliment to be applied to him, the black cat and essence of bad luck. He never argued with Alya though, just rolled his eyes and let it be, like he did right then, causing Marinette to giggle once more. 

“I’ll text you as we leave my parent’s house and we’ll meet you guys here. The doorman should let you guys in the building, he’s used to seeing you two by now.” 

Alya agreed, and the two girls said their goodbyes. Marinette put her phone on the counter after checking the time. “That call was very well timed, we really should be heading out. If we’re late, I think my Papa might pop his top.” 

Adrien sighed as well and went to straighten his hair that Marinette had just messed up, “This having to be at places on a timely manner really is ruining my love life,” to which Marinette just laughed.

\----------------------------------------------------

The week after Hometowns was aired, Adrien was summoned to a television studio to do a live question and answer episode of the show called “Women Tell All.” All of the girls are invited back, except for Lucie and Marinette, to talk about various things that happened on the show and get the opinions of everyone after having watched it all back on their TVs. 

Marinette was grateful Adrien had asked her to come with him. She wanted to see Hanna and Juliette so badly it physically hurt her. The producers had demanded that no one get together or see each other in person until this show, in order to keep the tensions and relationships fresh, even if it was filmed six months before. 

She was wearing a casual outfit, and felt very out of place with everyone’s fancy cocktail party dresses. But she knew that the only people who would see her are the other contestants and the backstage crew that passed her hiding spot. She watched the whole thing on a television backstage, and was able to watch Chris Harrison interview and ask the girls what the viewers wanted to know. 

As the show began filming, Marinette almost felt more like an outsider rather than a participant in the show. The audience was lively and excited to hear what everyone had to say. Chris started out by interviewing Adrien, asking him about the journey, the ups, the downs, the bloopers, everything. It was exciting to see Adrien relax with Chris and play up certain things to the audience. He was a hit. 

Then, Chris brought out all of the girls except for Juliette, who would have her own grand entrance, and Lucie, who wasn’t present. The conversation got heated, especially when the topic of where most of the drama stemmed from came up and all fingers pointed to Lila. Lila, who was paid by the broadcasting station to show up, was there and was the center of almost all of the discussion, as Chris (and truthfully, the viewers) were dying to know what in the world was going through that girl’s head for most of the show. Lila tried to deny all of her involvement in the drama, but a good number of girls, Hanna in the lead, stood up for Marinette, which warmed her heart. It was nice knowing that even after winning, these girls still cared enough for her to defend her on live television. 

After Chris reigned in the chaos that Lila had caused, once again, among the girls, they brought out Juliette and asked her about the heartbreaking goodbye that Adrien had given her after Fantasy Suites. Juliette was awesome and Marinette yearned to give her a hug, especially when she teared up remembering how much it hurt to watch that back and have people tell her they wanted her to win. Eventually they brought Adrien back out and he talked with Juliette for the first time since that break up. Juliette handled it like a pro, and Adrien was as gentlemanly as ever. 

Finally, Chris was signing off and telling everyone to tune in next week for the dramatic finale and a special live episode called “After the Final Rose,” where all the secrets will be revealed. Marinette had to pause, freaked out that _in a week_ she would be going public about her relationship with Adrien. And on such a grand stage. She heard one of the producers say that they were viewed in every city in France, most of Italy, Germany, and England as well as scattered broadcast throughout the rest of Europe. It was an impressively scary number to consider. 

Marinette was broken out of her trance by an all-too-familiar squeal. 

“Marinette!” 

She whipped around to see both Hanna and Juliette standing together, both looking ecstatic to see her. She let out a squeal of her own and collided with the two of them. 

“Oh my gosh I’ve missed you guys _so much_!” Marinette squealed into Juliette’s shoulder. The girls laughed and echoed her sentiment. As they pulled away, Hanna grabbed her left hand and brought it close to her face. 

“Ooooh he did a wonderful job!” Hanna announced, pulled back to show Juliette. Marinette blushed slightly. 

“Damn, I would have married him for that ring _alone_.” Juliette said in a mock serious tone, shooting Marinette a wink, who let out a giggle. 

“Just because it isn’t big and magnificent doesn’t mean that it isn’t beautiful. Plus, the two of us know better than anyone else, Marinette isn’t marrying Adrien for his money, and that here is obvious,” Hanna added with a wink.

“Hey!” Marinette protested, cradling her left hand against her chest. “I think it’s perfect.” 

The two girls laughed and pulled her in for another hug. “Of course, you do, sweetie, because you’re smitten, that’s just who you are,” Juliette teased with a child-like pat on the head. Marinette giggled against them once more before they dragged her out of her hiding spot and onto the staging area, where the rest of the girls (minus Lila) were waiting. They all cheered for Marinette as she walked out and she blushed an even deeper red than before. They took turns admiring the ring, giving their congratulations and just reminding each other how amazing it is to be together once more. 

“Oh, this won’t be the last time you see each other,” Marinette announced over the general chatter, after Alice sighed about how they would never see each other again. After a dramatic pause, Marinette continued, “You’re all invited to our wedding, of course!” The girls laughed and squealed and made plans to meet up at a later time to prepare for the upcoming event.

\----------------------------------------------------

Nearly a week later, the day before the “After the Final Rose” special, Marinette was sitting at a coffee shop, mid-morning, sketching absentmindedly in her notebook. She was so engrossed in her work, that she didn’t even notice when someone had walked up beside her until they spoke. 

“Beautiful work, as always.” Marinette startled a little, almost spilling her coffee on the design. She whipped her head to find the person she was waiting on. 

“Lucie, glad you could make it,” Marinette replied as she closed her sketchbook, hoping to prevent any more almost-spills. 

“Of course,” Lucie sat across from her and there was a beat of awkward silence before she spoke again. “I’ve been meaning to thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“For... reaching out. I was struggling a lot with what happened, and talking real with you made it better.” 

“Lucie,” Marinette started, smiling sweetly and gently placing her hand on Lucie’s. “The worst part of the aftermath of the show was knowing how much pain you had to be feeling. I know you felt strongly for Adrien, as much as I did, and I couldn’t imagine what you were going through.” Marinette paused, making sure Lucie was actually listening to her. She wanted her friend to know she meant it. 

“Well, I appreciate it. A lot.” Lucie gave her a small smile, and Marinette gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then reached to take another sip of her coffee. 

“I would have wanted the same, so it only felt fair.” Lucie gave another sad smile and nodded. Marinette took that as a good sign. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” 

Lucie’s head dropped, but she let out a sigh and met Marinette’s eyes. “I am. I know it’s going to be hard, but seeing Adrien again will be nice, and it’ll be good to have everything out in the open once again.” 

Marinette nodded, “I feel that. It’ll be good to not be holding in any more secrets.” _Except for the other major secret I’ve been hiding almost my whole life_. Marinette sighed, rubbing her face with her left hand as her eyes slipped closed. She heard a gasp and her eyes flew open. Glancing down at that hand, she realized that she had forgotten to take off her engagement ring before she left for this public outing. Her cheeks reddened and she quickly slipped it off. 

“Is that it?” Lucie asked, snapping out of her funk in a blink of an eye. Marinette nodded and handed the ring over for a closer inspection. “Damn.” 

“What?” Marinette asked, slightly alarmed by her reaction. 

“It really has been you this whole time.” 

“What do you mean?” Marinette whispered, severely confused as Lucie passed the ring back to her and she slipped it into her pocket. 

“Watching the show has opened my eyes to the way that Adrien’s relationships existed outside of the bubble I had created for myself. I was beginning to see it, but the ring... that is hard to refute.” 

“I—I still don’t get it,” Marinette stuttered, her cheeks turned red with the implication that was inevitably coming. 

“You two are truly sole mates, aren’t you? He’s a completely different person with you, and it’s amazing to see how much more he opened up with you than with the others. Something clicked early on with the two of you, and truthfully, none of the rest of us stood a chance.” 

“Now that’s not true—” 

“No, Marinette, I’m not upset. It—I actually have some closure now that I didn’t before. Adrien tried very hard to truly consider his options, but he found his person. My aunt says that some American sitcom called that ‘finding your lobster.’ I don’t really get it, but she says it with such reverence that it must be what you two did. I respect that. It’s going to make interacting with Adrien tomorrow that much easier.” Lucie nodded like that was the end of the discussion, but Marinette was still trying to process what happened. 

“What—wait so you aren’t upset? What just happened here?” 

Lucie gave the first genuine smile of the meeting, “I found my peace.” 

There was a thoughtful silence as Marinette tried to figure out what to do next. The original reason for their meeting popped into her head and she shook her head to clear it. 

“Lucie, there was actually a very good reason for me to meet you here, that didn’t involve you finding peace, although I’m glad that happened, it’s going to make this next part much easier.” Marinette stopped, scrutinizing Lucie’s face to see how she would react. When no alarming emotion appeared, Marinette continued. 

“What do you know about Gabriel?” 

“Adrien’s father or the company?” 

“Both.” 

“Not much. The company is popular here in France and other places around the world, chic, and a little pricey. The man is stoic and doesn’t talk much.” 

Marinette almost snorted at that last comment but continued on. “What if I told you that your aunt and Gabriel Agreste have had recent business contact?” 

Lucie’s jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly, “I would say you’re crazy. My aunt would never be considering doing business with a random French fashion line, no matter how popular. She’s firm on her designs and styles, which are very different from Gabriel’s.” 

Marinette felt a sly smile creep across her face as the perfect plan clicked together in her head. “Oh, do I have a story for you.” 

Hours later, after eventually having lunch with Lucie as well, Marinette ran home to talk to Adrien. As usual, he was sitting in the kitchen, doing paperwork while eating a sandwich. When she burst through the door, he almost jumped out of his seat. 

“Marinette! What are you doing home? Did something happen?” 

“Adrien, I figured out how to fix the company’s legal problems with your father and get him off our backs.” 

Adrien blanched, “Oh this I have to hear.”

\----------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Marinette asked, hesitation ringing in her voice. Adrien took a deep breath but nodded. “It’s not too late, just keep that in mind.” 

Adrien pulled Marinette closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head. “I think this is the only option we have going forward. It’ll be easier though, with Lucie on our side.” 

“She deserved to know. I’m just grateful she took it so well.” 

“Mr. Agreste,” a stagehand interrupted and both Adrien and Marinette looked up. “We’re on air in 60.” 

“Thanks,” Adrien responded while reluctantly letting go of his fiancée. She straightened his tie and smoothed out his suit as he heard Chris Harrison address the waiting crowd. 

“Well, after tonight the secret is out. You will publicly be my fiancée.” 

Marinette sighed, “I can’t wait.” She grabbed his head and pulled her down to her level in order for their lips to meet. From somewhere onstage, he heard a crew member countdown from ten and he reluctantly broke off the kiss and turned to face the door he was expected to walk through after being introduced. 

“I’m Chris Harrison, and welcome to After the Final Rose Live TV special. Tonight is a night none of us will soon forget. Just prior to the show, we received late-breaking news from Adrien regarding his relationship with Marinette.” The crowd ooohed but Adrien had to try not to laugh at Marinette’s eye roll. 

“Yes, because so much has happened between getting engaged and _still being engaged_.” 

Adrien let out a breathy giggle, “It’s just to build the tension.” 

“And Lucie, how has her life been after a tearful goodbye almost eight weeks ago. And if that’s not enough, we have an exciting surprise for you, yes you, the viewers.” The crowd broke out in cheers for that. After a beat, Chris continued, “So, where to start tonight? How about the man himself—Adrien Agreste!” 

Adrien walked on to the cheers of the crowd. He smiled and waved good naturedly and played along exactly as he was supposed to. 

“Adrien,” Chris reached out his hand to shake, which Adrien took. 

“Long time no see, Chris.” the crowd laughed as Adrien sat down on the love seat across from him. 

“Yes, it does feel like it’s been a while. But tell me, how does it feel, now that the whole world has seen it all?” 

“Oh my,” Adrien sighed, “It’s so nice. Marinette and I have been hiding and secretly being together since I proposed and it is just so nice to know that I can walk down the street holding her hand without it making the papers.” 

“Well I wouldn’t go that far—” Chris joked, and Adrien couldn’t help but laugh too. Marinette’s and his lives would never be without the press. 

“You’re right, that’s more of a pipe dream.” 

“Speaking of that proposal, oh my it was amazing.” Adrien was slightly taken aback by the applause that followed, and blushed against his will. “What are your emotions right now, after watching that play out on the screen last night?” 

“Honestly, I’ve never been more in love with Marinette than I am right now. Getting to watch the show, our entire love story, played back was such a treat and allowed me to appreciate everything that Marinette went through even more. She is so strong and I meant everything I said and more.” The crowd awed, but Adrien just beamed. He could talk about Marinette for a lifetime. 

“Wow, that was beautiful, Adrien. Are you always such a poet?” 

Adrien let out a hearty chuckle, “What can I say, Marinette just brings out the best in me.” Another round of awes and applause. 

“That’s sweet. I hate to burst your happy bubble, but let’s talk about Lucie.” There was a sudden hush among the crowd. Adrien made sure his expression turned solemn as well. “That was one of the tougher moments of the show, to say goodbye to her.” 

“Yeah it really was. After those last dates, I spent some time thinking. I had two amazing girls, who are both beautiful and full of life and both could add such amazing things to my life after the show, but my heart had already made up my mind. I hated having to say goodbye to Lucie, but it just had to be done.” 

“When was the last time you had felt emotions like that?” 

Adrien paused, trying to remember what he had been feeling. All he can remember is the happiness that was finally proposing to Marinette. He would be expected to be sad, so he played along with it. “The last time I had felt that kind of heartbreak was on the first anniversary of my mother passing. This was a very similar hurt, but for this one I felt like I couldn’t break down and cry. I was the one doing the heart-breaking, so I tried to stay strong for Lucie.” 

“But afterwards, did it hit you? That you had just let an amazing woman get away?” 

“In a way. Those first couple of days, I would have moments of just pause. I would think about how she was doing and just hoping that she could still be that amazing person that I had the opportunity to meet so long ago.” 

“As I’m sure you know, Lucie is backstage right now. Do you have any idea what you’re going to say to her?” 

_Oh, I have a whole script_ , “Not really. I’m hoping the words will come when I see her again.” 

“Well on that note, please welcome Lucie!” Chris stood and Adrien followed suit as the crowd cheered for Lucie. She looked stunning, as ever and she smiled when she saw Adrien, which made him smile in return. She gave Adrien a hug and then sat down next to him. 

“Welcome, Lucie. How are you feeling?” 

“Honestly, Chris, I’ve been better. This is a lot to take in, but I’m doing okay considering.” 

“What’s it like seeing Adrien again?” 

“It’s easier than I thought it was going to be. I haven’t seen Adrien since that last day. I’ve been watching the episodes, and that last one was hard to see. I’ve mostly just wondered what happened between us.” 

Adrien made eye contact with Chris, who gave him a small nod, which he took as a go ahead to answer her. “I wish I had a reason for you, I really do. You are an amazing girl, and we got along so well. But in the end, I fell in love with Marinette and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and there just wasn’t anything I could do after that. I hated having to say goodbye to you, especially without a proper answer, but I’m hoping we can still be on good terms.” 

“It’s hard to be upset with someone as genuine as you, Adrien. I appreciate you sticking with your heart, and being honest with me here. That’s all I’ve ever asked of you, and I respect your decision. I’ve found my peace, and having watched the whole season back, I’m genuinely happy for you and Marinette.” The crowd applauded once more, and Adrien almost wanted to applaud himself. That had been very well said. 

“Lucie, tell us how hard was it to watch all of the different moments you shared with Adrien on TV?” 

Lucie laughed, “Funny that you would ask, my family actually was much more upset about the ending than I was. I treasure all of those moments where I got to see the real Adrien and even our last day, where we said goodbye, it was easier knowing that at least the girl he ended up with is amazing. She deserves my utmost respect, and I know that if the roles were reversed, she would have done the same for me.” 

“Wait—wait. Back up. You said your _family_ took the breakup harder than you?” Chris asked, shock easily read on his face. 

Lucie laughed once more, “Yeah can you believe it? My parents adored Adrien and were already planning on taking him on our next family vacation and my aunt had even planned a trip for Adrien to come visit her in America. She had bought the plane ticket and everything.” Lucie laughed once more, and Adrien couldn’t help but blush. 

“Wow, your family was dedicated.” 

“Oh, that’s an understatement. I actually recently found out by accident that my aunt, who owns a fashion company in America, had actually been having secret business meetings with Gabriel Agreste. Apparently, when I won and Adrien and I became engaged, they were going to start a partnership and move towards merging the companies. So, as you can imagine, my breakup with Adrien threw a little snag in their plans.” 

The entire studio audience broke into whispers and Chris’s jaw dropped. “Are you—are you serious? How in the world did you find that out?” 

“Someone close to my aunt’s company approached me with their sympathies, and let slip about the deal going through.” 

“Adrien did you know about this?” 

“No, I had no idea.” He paused for a second and could feel his Father’s fury building from across the studio. “But, now that I think about it, it makes sense.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Well, my Father had always seemed to prefer Lucie over Marinette, or any of the girls for that matter. I never understood why. Right at the end, he encouraged me to propose to Lucie, and I just assumed it was because of her knowledge in the fashion industry. We both have been working in the business side of that world and on paper, she was the best fit for my life. I never would have thought that there was anything more.” 

“Well, thank you Lucie, for joining us.” Chris said, rather abruptly. 

Lucie looked slightly taken aback, but her smile returned quick enough that Adrien thought he was the only one to catch it. “Thank you for having me, this is exactly what I needed.” 

Chris turned toward the camera, “You heard it here, Bachelor Nation. We’ll be right back with Adrien, and his new fiancée, Marinette!” The crowd cheered, but Adrien didn’t hear it, as Chris had leaned forward, turning away from the camera and whispered, “Adrien you are required offstage now.” Lucie and Adrien exchanged a look and as soon as time was called, they both went backstage, gathering Marinette on the way. 

Gabriel was in a back room, sitting. Adrien couldn’t read his mood and approached him like he would a wild animal, slowly. 

“You wanted to see me?” 

“What have you done?” Gabriel hissed in response. 

“Father—” 

“Shut up! You got your little bitch, it wasn’t enough just to stop there? The company, I understand it was going to be yours soon enough anyway, but my credibility? My dignity? How did she find out?” 

Lucie stepped forward and for what appeared to be the first time, Gabriel realized there were other people in the room. “You will not talk to Adrien right now. What you did was sick and conniving and despicable. How my aunt could have _ever_ agreed to do business with you is beyond me. But as a mostly impartial outsider, if you don’t step down and get out of Adrien’s way, you won’t have a company to pass on. We may have done some damage, but we did the right thing. You cheated the system and you lost anyway. Just admit defeat, or we can go out and do even more. Marinette told me stories, and I know what else you’ve done. In my opinion you are getting off easy.” And with that, Lucie turned on her heel and stormed out. 

Marinette stared baffled after her and, with a quick glance at Adrien, she handed him the file she had been holding and followed her out of the room. 

Adrien stood before his Father, who for the first time in Adrien’s life looked disheveled, and felt nothing for this man. He was upset that he had given so much of his time and love to this statue who couldn’t even recognize when he’d been defeated. “Sign these papers. We’re changing the name. We’re changing the way things are done. And more importantly. we’re accepting Marinette with open arms. She is my Emile, and if for some ungodly reason I lose her before we’ve lived a full life, I hope I don’t ever become as loveless and as cold as you.” 

Adrien left the papers on the table and followed the girls out the door. 

He found them right off of the stage, where they could still hear the commercials coming through. Adrien opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Lucie. 

“I am so sorry, Adrien. I don’t know what came over me. I just got so fired up for everything he had done to you and to me and to this show. I bubbled over and I hope it didn’t do too much damage.” 

Adrien couldn’t help but smile. “You were perfect. I think you got through him better than I ever could. Thank you for your kind words and for being so amazing about this.” Lucie attacked him with a hug and Adrien felt his heart swell. 

“I hope I can find something like you two have,” Lucie announced when they broke apart. 

“You will,” Marinette said, stepping up and giving Lucie a hug as well. 

A loud voice called from onstage, effectively breaking up their huddle, “Ten seconds to live!” 

“Please stay in touch!” Adrien called to Lucie as he was herded onto the set. She nodded and turned once again towards Marinette as Adrien plopped down onto the love seat. This second half should be easier.

\----------------------------------------------------

“Welcome back Bachelor Nation! It has been a whirlwind of a night. We’ve checked in with our Bachelor, we’ve checked in with Lucie, and we’ve checked in with France’s hottest couple, Marinette and Adrien, but what is the big surprise? Let’s find out.” 

“Marinette, Adrien, all of those in the studio audience and the viewers at home all around Europe have been on pins and needles—scratch that even _I’ve_ been on pins and needles waiting to know what this big surprise is. Will you please tell us already!” 

Adrien and Marinette laughed, “Okay okay, we’ll tell you.” 

“So, as you all know,” Marinette started, “Adrien and I are getting married.” Cheers from the studio audience. “And you know that Adrien and I love each other and are just ready to start living our lives together.” 

“And with that being said, we want to tell you that we are indeed getting married—” Adrien paused for dramatic effect. 

“In a month!” The two said together. The crowd went wild. 

“And the best part is,” Marinette shouted over the glee, “everyone’s invited!” The crowd went crazy again, and it took Chris a couple of minutes to calm it all down. 

“How does that work, exactly?” Chris asked, once everyone could hear again. 

“Our wedding is going to be aired, live on television!” Adrien announced. He sounded as giddy as a child on Christmas. 

“All of the viewers have been a part of our love story for so long, we wanted to make sure no one got left out. The ceremony will be filmed with exclusive behind the scenes features that you wouldn’t be able to see in person and the reception will be aired as well! All of the girls will be there and my best gal, Alya is going to be my witness!” 

“Well what a surprise that is!” Chris said amongst the cheers that would never end. “Congratulations, you two! Everyone is invited to a Bachelor Wedding, a month from today. We’ll release more info as the time draws near. Have a great night, Bachelor Nation!” The cheers and excitement of the crowd continued, even as the credits began to roll. 

“Are you really watching that again?” A voice said from behind her, causing Alya to jump. 

“Ahh! Nino! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Alya screamed as she clutched her heart and collapsed deeper into the couch. 

“Babe, I’ve been in the house the whole time. At least I waited until the end to judge your 73rd watching of that episode. I learned my lesson.” 

Alya flinched slightly, remembering how much she had yelled at Nino the last time he interrupted her mid-episode. “I said I was sorry.” All she got in return was a non-committal hum. “Look, our Marinette found the love of her life and we got to experience it with her the whole time, and then again as we watched the episodes. It’s beautiful, I love to be reminded of their true love.” 

Nine just snorted. More like you love _you_ being on national television.” 

“Hey now! They are starting to show our season in America as well, so it’s actually _international_ television.” Nino just rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever you say, babe. But if you don’t go get ready now, we’re going to miss the rehearsal dinner, and I heard a rumor there may be cameras there too.” 

Nino had never seen Alya get ready so quickly.


	37. Chapter 37

Marinette was floating on clouds. The entire wedding had been absolutely perfect. Alya and her Maman had helped calm her down before the ceremony, Adrien had cried as she started walking down the aisle with her father, and all of the girls from the show had sat in the same section together and had cheered the loudest when they were pronounced husband and wife. Marinette had barely even noticed the cameras swarming around, recording everything for their faithful viewers. 

Rumor had it that because of their popular season, The Bachelor had been renewed for a second, with a different fashion company sponsoring it and a new man being chosen. Rumor has it that Lucy’s aunt from America may be taking a note from Gabriel’s book and is trying to get a Bachelorette going for next year too, with Lucie as the star. Marinette liked the idea of Lucie being able to find love and even told her that if they needed help with anything, like a guest appearance for a date or anything, Marinette would be there to help. Lucie gave her a big hug in a way of thanks. 

Marinette was the happiest she had ever been, and she could tell that Adrien was too. He never let go of her hand. At one point she told him she had to go to the bathroom and he automatically offered to come with her, before a blush spread on his face and Alya escorted her instead, laughing all along the way. They had danced their first dance, she had danced with her Papa, who had blubbered throughout the whole ceremony and dance alike, and Adrien had danced with his new mother-in-law. By the end of that dance, neither Sabine, Adrien, nor Marinette had walked away with a dry eye. 

Then came the fun part. The girls had asked Marinette if it would be okay to play a small prank on Adrien and Marinette had graciously let them run free. It started with Lucie asking Adrien to dance, and offering him a beautiful red rose while she did. Then she was interrupted by Juliette, who also offered him a rose before she was interrupted by Hanna and so on and so on until Adrien had a bouquet of roses and was laughing while dancing with all of his ex-girlfriend’s in attendance. 

When Adrien was on the last girl, Marinette interrupted and said, “Can I steal you for a second?” to which Adrien laughed. As they danced, Adrien whipped out the rather large bouquet of roses the other girls had given him and he asked, “Marinette, will you accept these roses?” to which she laughed and said yes, kissing him once more. Everyone cheered for the happy couple. 

Towards the end, as guests started dancing more and showing off for the cameras, Marinette and Adrien were slow dancing in the corner. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Adrien whispered into Marinette’s ear. 

“What do you mean? It’s our wedding, we can’t just leave it early.” 

“Come on! Come for a run with me! No one will even notice!” Marinette gave him a pointed look and he amended, “We’ll only be gone for 15 minutes. One lap around Paris and we’ll sneak back in and no one will notice.” 

Marinette was about to say no when Adrien gave her those puppy (kitty?) eyes and she felt a slow smile spread across her face. 

“Yes!” Adrien quietly celebrated while spinning and waltzing her closer and closer to the closest exit, which conveniently was right behind the band. 

As soon as the coast was clear, they both whispered their transformations and took to the skies for the first time as a married couple. They ended up on the Eiffel Tower, hidden away from onlookers for the first time that night. 

“Do you think this is what our life will be like now?” Ladybug asked, glancing around to make sure no one was close by, even though they were hundreds of feet up into the air. 

“What do you mean?” Chat asked, pulling her close. 

Ladybug rested her head on his shoulder, “Hiding from cameras and fans and just constantly being watched? Are we ever going to be invisible again?” 

“We never were truly invisible. Not really.” Ladybug shot him a look and he chuckled before explaining. “Well, first off, we are the heroes of Paris. We’ve always been under a spotlight.” 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” 

Chat began gently stroking her hair and she leaned into his touch. “Okay, okay. _I’ve_ never been invisible. And truly, neither have you.” 

“Please, before I met you, I was a nobody who led a secret life. No one knew who Marinette Dupain-Cheng was and probably never would have if it hadn’t been for the show.” 

“I disagree. I would like to think that even without the show, we would have ended up together. You were meant to become Mrs. Agreste and even without Gabriel/Agreste Fashions, you would have made a name for yourself in the fashion world without me.” He pulled her chin up so he could look deeper into her eyes. “That’s why no one is going to blink twice when you and I become co-CEOs of Agreste Fashion. You have the talent to prove that you are where you are meant to be. I’m the only person using my name to get a position in that company. You deserve it.” Ladybug felt her eyes begin to fill up with tears and Chat leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. 

“So, are Ladybug and Chat Noir dating, married what? Are we going to have to have a whole separate wedding ceremony for our alter egos?” Marinette asked, trying to change the subject to something much lighter. 

Chat laughed, “You know, Bugaboo, I would marry you every day of the week if I could. Plus, how fun would it be to say that you’re getting _meow_ -ied every day!” Chat burst into laughter and Ladybug couldn’t help but join in. 

“That was a terrible pun.” 

“I do what I can,” Chat said with a wink. 

“On a more serious note, what about Hawkmoth? We may be happy and Ladybug and Chat Noir have finally found each other and what not, but Hawkmoth is still out there and we still have no idea who he is.” 

Chat paused for a moment before answering, “I guess we’ll just have to figure it out as we go. As long as we’re together, there isn’t a fight we won’t lose. He’s sloppy and we’ll be able to find him and return his miraculous to where it belongs.” 

“Speaking of where things belong... I’m pretty sure it’s been longer than 15 minutes and we have an entire wedding hall full of people that expected us to be in attendance the entire party.” 

Chat rolled his eyes but sat up and stretched like the cat he was before standing and offering Ladybug a hand. Instead of letting go of her hand after she had stood, he used it to pull her close to him and engulf her in a hug. 

“Thanks for being my partner in every aspect of my life.” 

“I’ll always be there for you, Kitty. No matter what stands in our way.” 

The hug lasted a couple more seconds before they broke apart. Ladybug was just about to jump and head back towards their wedding when Chat pulled her back and held out his hand. 

“Together?” 

She smiled and nodded, “Together.” 

And together they jumped. 

In that moment it didn’t matter that Hawkmoth was still out there or that Lila had tried to ruin their lives, or even all of the hoops that Gabriel had made them jump through. Together, they had survived it all, and together they would thrive “Till death do us part.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end!!! 
> 
> Oh my gosh guys, this has been such an amazing journey! Thank you all so SO much for reading and supporting this story in the past year. It has been a wild ride and I have loved every part of it. I'm thinking about possibly writing a sequel to this that would involve more Hawkmoth moments and bringing that section to a close. If you're interested... let me know! I have some other random fic ideas floating around my head so be on the lookout if you're interested! Again, thank you all for your awesome support! YOU GUYS ROCK!


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